Who Is Sana Mir, Pakistani Cricketer Turned Commentator Behind Azad Kashmir Controversy?

Get to know all about the former captain of Pakistan's women's national team turned cricket commentator.

Recently, Pakistani commentator and former cricketer Sana Mir got into controversy over her ‘Azad Kashmir’ comment. Mir, while introducing the Pakistani player Natalia Pervaiz, referred to her hometown as ‘Azad Kashmir’ during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh Women’s World Cup Match.  This caused a massive outrage among Indians on social media, bringing Mir to the spotlight. Here’s all you need to know about the commentator. 

Who Is Sana Mir?

Sana Mir is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in the country’s national women’s cricket team and served as its captain. Regarded as an all-rounder, Sana Mir played 120 ODIs and 106 T20Is. She was also the first woman cricketer to win the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Cricketer of the Year award, and the first Pakistani woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

About Mir’s Azad Kashmir Controversy 

The controversy erupted when Sana Mir, while introducing the cricketer Natalia Pervaiz, said that the cricketer hails from Azad Kashmir. Natalia, who made her international debut in 2017, belongs to Bandala, a region that falls under Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK)

The exact words that Sana used during her commentary segment were, “A lot of these players are new, Natalia comes from Kashmir… Azad Kashmir, but has played most of her cricket in Lahore,”

Sana Mir’s comment is especially controversial because it comes at a time when tensions between Pakistan and India are especially high due to the Pahalgam attack this year that killed 26 Indians. India retaliated by conducting Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.

Indians on social media have urged organisations like the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take note of Mir’s comments.

Also Read: Pakistani Commentator Sana Mir’s Azad Kashmir Comment At The Women’s World Cup Sparks Outrage

Sana, on the other hand, has responded to the controversy by stating that the situation has been blown out of proportion. She clarified that she was just following the facts as listed on  ESPNcricinfo’s page.  The Pakistani commentators’ clarification has, however, done little to subdue the outrage. 

Also Read: Haryana YouTuber Wasim Akram Arrested for Spying For Pakistan’s ISI

First Published: October 03, 2025 4:09 PM