Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir broke the silence and came up with a clarification on her controversial ‘Azad Kashmir’ comment, which was made on air during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh contest in the ongoing ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 campaign.
On Thursday, October 2, the Pakistani commentator referred to Pakistan middle-order batter Natalia Prevaiz as a player hailing from Azad Kashmir, a part of India that is occupied by Pakistan.
Interestingly, her comment didn’t go down well among the Indian cricketing fraternity as they were quick to correct Mir, asserting that Prevaiz belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and not to Azad Kashmir.
"Natalia, who comes from Kashmir, Azad ***, plays in Lahore, a lot of cricket. She has to come to Lahore to play most of her cricket there,” Sana Mir said on air.
Mir was quick enough to issue a clarification on her social platforms, adding that her comment was blown out of proportion. Though she didn’t issue an apology to the Indian audience, she stood by her words.
Sana Mir’s statement from her X handle:
“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 the public level.”
“My comment about a Pakistan player's hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey. It is part of the storytelling we do as commentators about where the players come from. I did that today for two other players coming from other regions too. Please don’t politicise it. As a commentator on the World Feed, we are meant to focus on the sport, teams, and players, highlighting inspiring stories of grit and perseverance. There is no malice in my heart or any intention to hurt sentiments.”
“I am also attaching the screenshot of where I research most of my players from, whether from Pakistan or any other country. I realise that they have changed it by now, but this is what I was referring to.”
https://x.com/mir_sana05/status/1973794756309496304
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Sana Mir breaks the silence on her ‘Azad Kashmir’ on-air comment during ICC Women’s World Cup 2025
Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir issues a strong clarification on her 'Azad Kashmir' comment during the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 broadcast after a massive social media backlash.
Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir broke the silence and came up with a clarification on her controversial ‘Azad Kashmir’ comment, which was made on air during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh contest in the ongoing ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 campaign.
On Thursday, October 2, the Pakistani commentator referred to Pakistan middle-order batter Natalia Prevaiz as a player hailing from Azad Kashmir, a part of India that is occupied by Pakistan.
Interestingly, her comment didn’t go down well among the Indian cricketing fraternity as they were quick to correct Mir, asserting that Prevaiz belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and not to Azad Kashmir.
"Natalia, who comes from Kashmir, Azad ***, plays in Lahore, a lot of cricket. She has to come to Lahore to play most of her cricket there,” Sana Mir said on air.
Mir was quick enough to issue a clarification on her social platforms, adding that her comment was blown out of proportion. Though she didn’t issue an apology to the Indian audience, she stood by her words.
Sana Mir’s statement from her X handle:
“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 the public level.”
“My comment about a Pakistan player's hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey. It is part of the storytelling we do as commentators about where the players come from. I did that today for two other players coming from other regions too. Please don’t politicise it. As a commentator on the World Feed, we are meant to focus on the sport, teams, and players, highlighting inspiring stories of grit and perseverance. There is no malice in my heart or any intention to hurt sentiments.”
“I am also attaching the screenshot of where I research most of my players from, whether from Pakistan or any other country. I realise that they have changed it by now, but this is what I was referring to.”
https://x.com/mir_sana05/status/1973794756309496304
Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!