Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir has defended herself over her reference to “Azad Kashmir” during Women’s World Cup commentary in Colombo.

While on air during Pakistan’s match against Bangladesh on Thursday, Mir introduced cricketer Natalia Pervaiz as hailing from “Kashmir, Azad Kashmir” and noted that she travels to Lahore to play most of her domestic cricket.

The comment drew criticism online, with many Indian users insisting the area should be referred to as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and accusing Mir of making a political statement.

Some even tagged the ICC and its chairman, Jay Shah, calling for her removal from the commentary panel.

Responding later, the 39-year-old said her remarks had been blown out of proportion.

““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 the public level,” she wrote on social media.

Mir emphasised that she had no political motive and was highlighting the challenges faced by players from different regions.

“My comment about a Pakistan player’s hometown was only meant to highlight the challenges she faced coming from a certain region in Pakistan and her incredible journey,” she said. “It is part of the storytelling we do as commentators about where the players come from. I did that today for two other players from other regions too. Please don’t politicise it.”

She added that her commentary was based on publicly available information.

“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 said, attaching a screenshot of the sources she had used for research.

The controversy comes amid heightened India–Pakistan cricket tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack in April and India’s subsequent military response under Operation Sindoor.

During the men’s Asia Cup, Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts and declined to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister.

The Indian women’s team is expected to maintain the same stance when they face Pakistan on Sunday.

On the field, Pakistan suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Bangladesh on Thursday, adding to their challenges in the tournament.