'Azad Kashmir,' former Pakistani captain's comment, adds new drama to India Women vs Pakistan Women match
Former Pakistan Women's captain Sana Mir ignited controversy during the ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 by referring to Pakistani batter Natalia Pervaiz as coming from "Azad Kashmir".
Last Updated: 01.57 PM, Oct 03, 2025
Former Pakistan Women's captain Sana Mir has sparked a major controversy during the ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 with a politically sensitive comment referring to Pakistani batter Natalia Pervaiz as coming from "Azad Kashmir" during a live commentary match against Bangladesh in Colombo. The phrase "Azad Kashmir" is widely contested and refers to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a term India strongly opposes. This comment has added new drama to the India Women vs Pakistan Women cricket match context, reigniting tensions that already exist between the two nations in cricketing and political spheres.
Sana Mir’s comments during the BAN vs PAK match
Mir, who is part of the commentary panel for the tournament hosted by India and Sri Lanka, made the remark while describing Pervaiz’s background, highlighting her cricketing journey from the region to playing in Lahore.
She said, “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.”
This sparked immediate backlash, particularly from Indian fans on social media, who accused her of politicizing the broadcast and called on the ICC and BCCI to take strict action.
The controversy unfolded amid the ongoing tensions in the cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan, following the men's Asia Cup, where Indian players also avoided customary handshakes with Pakistani players.
Clarification from Sana Mir
In response to the uproar, Sana Mir issued a detailed clarification stating her comments were taken out of context and were not meant to be political.
She emphasized her intention was only to highlight the challenges faced by players like Pervaiz from remote regions who must relocate to bigger cities for better cricketing opportunities.
Mir also shared that her research source labeled Pervaiz’s origin as "Azad Kashmir," and she regretted that the situation escalated beyond her expectations.
She underscored that she bore no malice and that her commentary aimed solely at providing factual background information about the player.
"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," Sana shared via her social media post.
Read Also: When is the India vs Pakistan match in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025? How to watch in India?
BCCI to discuss the situation with ICC
The backlash from Mir's comment reflects the broader contested narrative on Kashmir between India and Pakistan and its influence on sports diplomacy.
The BCCI is expected to discuss this matter with the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has a strict neutrality policy concerning political statements during broadcasts.
The escalating tensions are further highlighted by the Indian women's cricket team reportedly deciding not to shake hands with the Pakistani team in their upcoming World Cup fixture, continuing the precedent set by the men's team.
India Women vs Pakistan Women on 5th October
The Indian Women’s Cricket team, who won their first match of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, will face the Pakistan Women’s Cricket team next on 5th October in Colombo. The match will be streamed LIVE on JioHotstar, accessible via OTTplay Premium.