Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir has lashed out at critics and fans for giving a ‘sexist’ tone to discussions around the national team’s performance in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan ended their campaign on Saturday with a consolation win over the Netherlands, having lost four straight games to India, South Africa, Australia and Bangladesh.
Mir, speaking in an interview to a Pakistani media outlet, questioned the double standards in how men’s and women’s teams are criticised, asking if similar remarks are made when the men’s side underperforms.
“I see double standards while talking about the performances of the men’s and women’s teams. I don’t agree with the tone of the criticism. Yes, the team has not come up to the expectations,
but just because it is the women’s team, why add a sexist tone to it?” she said.
Sana, who is commentating during the World Cup, said that while disappointment over the team’s performance is understandable, the manner in which it is discussed remains a concern.
“Even after so many years, we still don’t give the required respect to the women’s team while discussing its performances.”
She also highlighted the challenges faced by girls pursuing professional cricket in Pakistan and stressed the need for a shift in mindset.
“Our players could not perform the way we expected. It took many years to convince everyone that Pakistan’s girls have what it takes, that they can cause upsets,” she said and also stressed that the mindset surrounding women’s cricket needed to change first.
“Until we change this mindset, we will get nowhere,” she added.
Mir also criticised the use of AI-generated videos on social media to mock women players and spread misinformation, saying it has caused distress to their families.
She said what pained her the most was that the team’s performance was often judged through the lens of gender rather than cricketing merit, pointing out that the men’s team has also endured poor runs without facing similar remarks.
Mir added that significant work is needed to expand the talent pool in women’s cricket and to organise more domestic tournaments.
“The players indeed know there is no competition for spots in the team, and it does affect their mindset.”
(With PTI Inputs)
