Sana Mir hits back at Indian calls for her removal from commentary | The Express Tribune

Former Pakistan women’s cricket captain Sana Mir has responded to criticism from Indian fans after her on-air remarks during the ongoing Women’s World Cup, urging everyone not to politicise the issue.

Mir, who is part of the ICC’s commentary panel, came under fire after she said during Pakistan’s match against Bangladesh that batter Natalia Pervaiz comes from “Kashmir, Azad Kashmir” and plays most of her cricket in Lahore. The comment immediately drew reactions on Indian social media, with some fans tagging the ICC and BCCI, accusing Mir of “politicising the broadcast” and demanding her removal.

“What caught even more attention was that Mir initially said ‘Kashmir’, before correcting herself to say ‘Azad Kashmir’,” Indian media reported.

Addressing the matter in a statement posted on X, Mir said the incident was being blown out of proportion.

“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,” she wrote.

Mir explained that her comments were only meant to highlight Pervaiz’s journey as a player and the challenges she faced coming from a particular region in Pakistan.

“It is part of the storytelling 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,” she said.

The former skipper, who in June became the first Pakistani woman inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, added that her focus as a commentator was on sharing inspiring stories of grit and perseverance.

“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,” Mir stated.

To support her remarks, she also shared a screenshot of Natalia Pervaiz’s ESPNCricinfo profile, which at the time listed her hometown as Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The page has since been updated to “Pakistan-administered Kashmir.”

“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,” she said.

The controversy comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, which have recently spilled onto the cricket field as well.