Ex-Pakistan captain Sana Mir says her controversial 'Azad Kashmir' remark was 'blown out of proportion'

Sana made the remark during the Pakistan-Bangladesh match in the Women's World Cup on October 2.

She referred to 'Azad Kashmir' while talking about Pakistani cricketer Natalia Pervaiz.

"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," Sana said during commentary.

Natalia, 29, is a right-hand medium bowler and right-handed batter who hails from Bandala in the Bhimber district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which has been referred to as Azad Kashmir by Sana.

Now after the controversy, Sana said "things are being blown out of proportion".

She said in an X post, "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."

"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."

"I am also attaching the screen shot of where I research most of my players from, whether from Pakistan or any other country. I realise that they have changed it by now, but this is what I was referring to," the former skipper added.

The diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan spiralled into the cricket field earlier during Asia Cup 2025 in September.

The Indian cricketers refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in all three matches including the final where they faced each other as the two teams locked horns in the shadow of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

After the Group match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) escalated the confrontation unsuccessfully demanding Andy Pycroft's removal from the panel of referees alleging it was the Match Referee who asked the two captains- Pakistan's Salman Ali Agha and India's Suryakumar Yadav- not to shake hands at the toss.

The tension reached the peak in the final when Suryakumar after the victory refused to accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also happens to be PCB chief and Pakistan Interior Minister.

When the Indian players boycotted the ACC chairman, Naqvi waited for an hour and then departed controversially taking the trophy and winning medals with him.