Former Pakistan women’s cricketer Sana Mir calls Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK ) ‘Azad (Independent) Kashmir’ !

Trolled on social media

Colombo  – Former Pakistan women’s cricket team captain Sana Mir was commentating during the match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Women’s ODI World Cup here. She has been criticized for calling  Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) ‘Azad Kashmir’. At a time when ‘PoK’ is a part of India, such a statement is being opposed.

While commentating, Sana Mir referred to Pakistani player Natalia Parvez and said, “Natalia is a player from Kashmir, Azad Kashmir; But she has to come to Lahore to play cricket.” Sana’s use of the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ immediately after saying ‘Kashmir’ sparked a controversy.

” There was no intention to offend anyone or make a political statement ! –  Sana Mir’s explanation

Sana Mir clarified by posting on social media after the criticism. She said, ‘My intention was only to tell the story of Natalia’s struggle. There was no intention to hurt anyone or make a political stance.  It is the responsibility of the commentator to convey the background and journey of the players to the audience. I did the same for the other 2 players, mentioning their region and sharing their inspirational journeys. Please don’t politicise this.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet commented.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet made any statement on the matter. “There should be no place for political commentary in a tournament like the World Cup. India skipper Suryakumar was fined for a reference during the men’s Asia Cup. However, despite Pakistan’s repeated controversial rhetoric about India’s integral territory, no concrete action has been taken.” Experts have expressed their dismay.

Editorial Perspectives

• Be it women or men, Pakistani players are brimming with anti-India sentiments, so they commit such acts. Therefore, it is justified to completely boycott playing cricket with them. For this, Indians need to create pressure !
• It is evident once again that the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have always been inactive in  dealing with such  incidents !