Former Pakistan women’s cricket team Sana Mir on Thursday stroked a massive controversy while commentating during the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Mir, while describing cricketer Natalia Pervaiz’s background, said she was from ‘Azad Kashmir’, instead of ‘Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’.
Social media users, especially the Indian viewers, were left enraged with Mir’s remark and slammed her politicising the broadcast. What left everyone surprised was that the commentator initially said ‘Kashmir’, before correcting herself to say ‘Azaad Kashmir’.
“…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,” she said during Pakistan’s opening clash with Bangladesh.
Internet Slams Mir’s ‘Azad Kashmir’ Remark
A video of her commentary has also gone viral on social media, with many demanding that the International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and ICC Chairman Jay Shah, take immediate strict action against Sana Mir and impose a ban on the cricketer-turned-commentator.
This is one thing you can’t say on a global stage. Sana Mir has to go for this. There is nothing called Azaad Kashmir. #PakvsBan
pic.twitter.com/8sBp6lbMCZ
— Faiz Fazel (@theFaizFazel) October 2, 2025
Reacting to Mir’s remark, one of the users posted on X: “What the hell is ‘Azaad Kashmir’? Using this on a global stage is outrageous.”
Another said: “It is not a slip of the tongue. Initially, she said ‘Kashmir’, then she corrected herself to ‘Azad Kashmir’. She needs to be sacked. Enough is enough.”
“This is one thing you can’t say on a global stage. Sana Mir has to go for this. There is nothing called Azaad Kashmir,” another user commented.
The controversy comes just days after the controversial Asia Cup tournament, where Pakistani men’s cricket team sparked a row with gestures during a match. The Indian cricket team won the tournament with a five-wicket win against Pakistan in the final match but were denied the trophy after they refused to accept it from PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi.
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