Former Pakistan women’s cricket team Sana Mir has stirred a massive controversy with her recent remarks while commentating during the ongoing Women’s ODI World Cup between Bangladesh and Pakistan. She mentioned that cricketer Natalia Pervaiz was from ‘Azad Kashmir’, instead of ‘Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’.
What caught even more attention was that Mir initially said ‘Kashmir’, before correcting herself to say ‘Azaad Kashmir’.
A video of her commentary has gone viral on social media, with the 39-year-old drawing heavy flak from netizens. Many even demanded that the International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and ICC Chairman Jay Shah, take immediate strict action against Mir and ban the cricketer-turned-commentator.
“What the hell is ‘Azaad Kashmir’? Using this on a global stage is outrageous,” one of the users posted on X.
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 comment read.
Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by seven wickets in the ODI World Cup match, which was held at R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The latest controversy comes just days after members of the Pakistani men’s cricket team from the Asia Cup tournament sparked a row with gestures during a match.
During the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Super Four match last week, Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan made gestures alluding to the four-day military conflict during Operation Sindoor.
Rauf responded to teases from the spectators during the second innings of the match that India won by six wickets. He lifted his fingers and indicated ‘0-6’, a reference that, according to social media, was Islamabad’s unsubstantiated claims of downing India’s fighter jets during the military conflict in May after Operation Sindoor.
In another video that went viral on social media, Haris Rauf was seen gesturing that planes had crashed. A claim made by Pakistan without any proof.
Meanwhile, Sahibzada Farhan had celebrated his half-century during the first innings by pointing his bat like a gun, which was likened to an ‘AK-47’.
A massive controversy had erupted over the gestures, a row which also snowballed into a political slugfest in India.
