Former Pakistan women’s cricket captain and commentator Sana Mir addressed the backlash after referring to cricketer Natalia Pervaiz as being from “Azad Kashmir” during the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 broadcast.  She clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that she had no intention of making a political statement and that her comments were being “blown out of proportion.”

Mir explained that in her role as a commentator, she often highlights the backgrounds of players to contextualise their journeys. She said, “My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced … Please don’t politicise it.”  She added that there was “no malice in my heart” and that she did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments.

She also shared a screenshot of the source she used to verify players’ places of origin, pointing out that changes had since been made.  The incident triggered strong reactions on social media, with many calling on ICC and other cricketing bodies to remove her from the commentary panel.