Pakistani cricket commentator and former cricket player Sana Mir has found herself at the centre of a massive controversy after her ‘Azad Kashmir’ comment. The issue started during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh Women’s World Cup 2025 match when Mir called Natalia Pervaiz a player hailing from ‘Azad Kashmir.’ Sana Mir used this term to refer to the Indian region that is illegally occupied by Pakistan. Read on to know more.
About Pakistani Cricket Commentator Sana Mir’s Azad Kashmir Controversy
During the match, the exact words used by Pakistani cricket commentator Sana Mir were, “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.” Mir’s comments sparked a huge uproar on social media, with many saying that she deliberately used the term to rile up a controversy.
Indians on X (formerly known as Twitter) refuted Sana’s ‘Azad Kashmir’ comment and corrected her by saying that Natalia Pervaiz belonged to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Later, the Pakistani commentator posted a clarification online by saying that what she said was harmless and had been blown out of proportion. She reiterated by saying that she stands by her words and her remarks were not political by any means. Sana Mir said that she simply stated facts that she found on ESPNcricinfo’s page.
In her statement, she said, “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.”
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India And Pakistan’s Strained Relationship
Ever since the Pahalgam terror attack this April, India’s relationship with Pakistan has been strained. While cricket matches between the two countries are still being held, the Indian men’s cricket team refused to shake hands with Pakistan’s cricket team at the Asia Cup 2025. They also refused to accept trophies and medals from the hands of Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqv, a Pakistani government official.
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