Former Pakistan skipper Sana Mir clarified her 'Azad Kashmir' comment during the Women's World Cup game between Bangladesh and Pakistan, calling the whole controversy 'unfortunate', saying that she never intended to hurt any sentiments. "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," Mir stated X (formerly Twitter).
Mir was talking about 29-year-old batter Natalia Pervaiz, who belongs to Bandala, a town in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and uttered the words 'Azad Kashmir', which is referred to as in Pakistan (AJK). However, the video was picked up on social media, and Mir soon found herself facing backlash from several users.
"My comment about a Pakistan player's hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced of coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey. It is part of the story telling we do as commentators as where the players come from. I did that today for two other players coming from other regions, too.
"Please don’t politicise it. As a commentator on the World Feed, we are meant to focus on the sport, teams, and players, highlighting inspiring stories of grit and perseverance. There is no malice in my heart or any intention to hurt sentiments," Mir added, while also sharing the screenshot from the website she referred to before speaking on commentary. However, the website also later changed the geographical location in its database to "Pakistan-administered Kashmir."
The controversy also gained air in the backdrop of the off-the-field aftermath of the Asia Cup, where, apart from playing cricket against each other India and Pakistan players didn't shake hands, didn't even speak to the broadcasters and commentators from the other country and the winning Indian team also refused to receive the trophy from ACC president and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
Pakistan are scheduled to take on India in the Women's World Cup on Sunday, October 5 in Colombo. The Pakistan women's team suffered a heavy loss against Bangladesh in its opening game of the tournament on Thursday, October 2, after being skittled out for just 129 in 38.3 overs.