Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir (X)
Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir recently fulfilled her commentary duties for the highly anticipated India-Pakistan Women’s World Cup 2025 match in Colombo. This appearance came despite a wave of criticism following an earlier on-air reference to “Azad Kashmir.” The game was India’s second league fixture in the ICC tournament.
The controversy began during Pakistan’s opening match against Bangladesh. While discussing player Natalia Pervaiz, Mir mentioned her background, stating: “…captaining a very young side. Yes, they have won the qualifiers, but a lot of these players are new. Natalia, who comes from Kashmir, Azad Kashmir, plays in Lahore a lot of cricket. She has to come to Lahore to play most of her cricket there.”
This comment sparked significant backlash online, with numerous social media users calling for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to remove her from the commentary panel, accusing her of injecting politics into the sports broadcast. Mir quickly responded to the criticism, asserting that her statement had been overstated and misunderstood.
On X (formerly Twitter), she posted a detailed clarification: “It’s unfortunate how things are being blown out of proportion and people in sports are being subjected to unnecessary pressure. It is sad that this requires an explanation at public level. My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey. It is part of the storytelling we do as commentators, showing where players come from. I did the same for two other players from other regions. Please don’t politicise it. On the World Feed, our focus is the sport, teams, and players, highlighting grit and perseverance. There is no malice in my heart or intention to hurt sentiments.”
To further support her explanation, Mir also shared a screenshot of her research sources for player backgrounds, indicating that the information had since been updated.
Despite the intense public scrutiny, Mir retained her position on the commentary panel for Pakistan’s subsequent match against India. Although she was not featured on Star Sports, India’s official broadcaster for the Women’s World Cup, a circulating screenshot from the Pakistan broadcast showed her alongside former Indian captain Mithali Raj, engaged in a discussion about the game right after the toss.
During the match itself, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. India made a single change to their playing eleven, replacing Amanjot with Renuka Thakur.