Former Pakistan women's team skipper Sana Mir has shared a big statement after she was heavily criticised for saying 'Azad Kashmir' while talking about a player. Notably, Sana was on commentary when Pakistan batter Natalia Pervaiz was on the crease during the side's Women's World Cup clash against Bangladesh. The former cricketer was heard saying that Natalia hails from the Azad Kashmir region, leaving many Indians agitated. This is due to the fact that Azad Kashmir is generally referred to the area that is a subject of dispute between India and Pakistan.
Despite facing a lot of scrutiny, Sana decided not to apologise and rather shared a detailed statement on social media, stating that she didn't have the intention to hurt anyone's sentiments with the comments that she made.
Here is the video of Sana commentating while Natalia was batting -
Tensions at an tall-time high
Sana's comments come at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan are at an all-time high when it comes to cricket. Recently, two players from the Pakistan men's team were seen making provocative gestures during their Super 4 clash against the Men in Blue in Asia Cup. While Sahibzada Farhan did a gun celebration after reaching his half-century, Haris Rauf was seen signalling '6-0' towards Indian fans. This referred to Pakistan's baseless claim of downing six of India's fighter jets during Operation Sindoor.
Additionally, players from both teams didn't shake hands with each other in any of their three matches in the tournament. The same is expected to happen when India faces Pakistan in the Women's World Cup on October 5.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if ICC will take any action on Sana for her comments during the Pakistan-Bangladesh match.