Former Pakistan women’s cricket captain and commentator Sana Mir faced backlash after referring to player Natalia Pervaiz as being from “Azad Kashmir” during the Pakistan vs Bangladesh Women’s ODI World Cup match on October 2. The comment sparked controversy due to the sensitive political nature of the term “Azad Kashmir,” which refers to the Pakistan-administered part of Jammu and Kashmir, a disputed area claimed by both India and Pakistan.

Sana Mir has now issued a 171-word clarification on her social media, stating that her comment was taken out of context and wrongly politicized. She explained that her intention was merely to highlight the challenges Natalia faced coming from a certain region of Pakistan and narrate the inspiring journey of the player, which is part of the commentary storytelling. She added that she made similar remarks about players from other regions during the broadcast.

Mir expressed regret that the issue was blown out of proportion and people involved in sports were being subjected to unnecessary pressure. She said, “It is sad that this requires a public explanation.” She shared proof of her research from ESPNcricinfo explaining the player’s background and emphasized there was no intention to hurt any sentiments or make a political statement.

This incident comes amid ongoing strained cricket relations between India and Pakistan, following controversies during the Asia Cup and the tense atmosphere around the Women’s World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.