‘No malice in my heart’: says ex-Pak cricketer Sana Mir after criticism for ‘Azad Kashmir’ mention during World Cup commentary

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Sana Mir faced heavy trolling and criticism on social media for using the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ to describe a players city of origing during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Colombo.

After receiving the backlash, Sana responded on her official X handle, pointing out how “unfortunate” it is that “things are being blown out of proportion and people in sports are being subjected to unnecessary pressure.” She also attached a screenshot of the ESPNCricinfo profile of Natalia and added that, “There is no malice in my heart or any intention to hurt sentiments.”

“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 of coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey. It is part of the story telling we do as commentators as 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 screen shot 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,” posted Sana on X.

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… pic.twitter.com/G722fLj17C

— Sana Mir ثناء میر (@mir_sana05) October 2, 2025

The incident happened when Natalia Pervaiz had come to bat. Mir was heard during the commentary saying, “…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.”

The region has been denoted by India as Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The video of her mentioning the same went viral on social media, drawing plenty of criticism from fans. Some of the fans urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to remove her from the panel of commentators, which is part of the ongoing Women’s World Cup. Though the tournament is being hosted by India, Pakistan is playing all its matches in Colombo as per the hybrid model.

An X user named AT10 said, “Sana Mir is doing commentary for the ICC World Cup… If someone is afraid of losing his/her respect he/she thinks 10 times before saying anything but she is from a country where there is no such thing as respect.. Remove her @ICC from the panel.”

Another X user named Ajay Jangid said, “What the hell is ‘Azaad Kashmir’ @ICC @BCCI? Using this on a global stage is outrageous. @JayShah @MithunManhas, take immediate, strict action–Ban Sana Mir . There is NO ‘Azaad Kashmir.’ Such anti-India propaganda has no place in cricket! #PakvsBan #CWC25.”

Another X user, Sushi Rani, also posted, “@cricketworldcup @BCCI @AmitShah please do the needful for Sana Mir. Fire her now.”
Coming to the match, some tidy bowling from Bangladesh, particularly Shorna Akter (3/5 in 3.3 overs), reduced Pakistan to 129 in 38.3 overs, with Rameen Shamim (23) and skipper Fatima Sana (22) being the only ones crossing the 20-run mark.

Rubya Haider (54 in 77 balls, with eight fours) was the star of the run-chase for Bangladesh as she helped her nation start the campaign with a seven wicket win with 113 balls left.

India will notably take on Pakistan in a high-octane clash at Colombo on Sunday. (ANI)