NEW DELHI: After facing heavy backlash over her on-air remark about "Azad Kashmir" during the Women's ODI World Cup match, former Pakistan captain and commentator Sana Mir clarified that the issue had been blown out of proportion.

Sana, while commentating during Pakistan's opening clash against Bangladesh in Colombo, talked about Natalia Pervaiz's cricketing journey and said: "…captaining a very young side. 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's remark drew sharp criticism from Indian fans, with many calling for her removal over allegedly politicising the broadcast. Given the ICC's strict stance on neutrality, the controversy quickly intensified over whether her words had crossed the line.

Sana responded to the outrage with a long post on X, stressing that her words were taken out of context.

"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," she wrote.

She explained her comment by pointing to a popular cricket website that lists her birthplace as "Azad Kashmir," stressing that her only intention was to highlight the player's roots and resilience.

"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," she concluded.

On the field, Bangladesh sealed a commanding seven-wicket win over Pakistan.

Chasing 130, they comfortably reached 131/3 in 31.1 overs, with opener Rubya Haider anchoring the innings with a composed unbeaten 54 off 77 balls, well supported by Sobhana Mostary's 24*. Earlier, Pakistan folded for 129 in 38.3 overs, with only Rameen Shamim (23) and Fatima Sana (22) showing brief resistance.