Sana Mir calls out advertisements for promoting body shaming and objectification of women

Sana Mir has captured the hearts of many during her time as captain of the Pakistan women's cricket team.

The cricketer has led the team to numerous victories, including two gold medals at the Asian Games (2010 and 2014). But that is not what Sana Mir talks about in her latest Facebook post. What she wants to highlight is that she shouldn't be expected to do it all while conforming to certain beauty standards.

The former captain took to social media to call out advertisements that reduce a woman's worth to just her looks.

Sana Mir described an ad she saw, which was "magnifying a girl’s concern about how she looks on a basketball court. The worst thing is that instead of sending a message to young girls that the colour or texture of their skin does not matter, we are promoting body shaming and objectification."

Sharing the post with a collage of women from her team, she called out these beauty standards asking, "Are the talent, passion and skill of a girl not enough for her to play sports?"

But if you think Sana Mir is upset over a TVC, think again. The bowler called out not just the brands but the endorsers and celebrities that enforce the very mindset they claim to be against.

"We – corporate sponsors and celebrities - always talk about our concern regarding the objectification of women in different professional settings. It infuriates us most of the time... We see endless posts and statuses on social media expressing our anger. But when it’s time to walk the talk, I have seen very few sponsors or celebrities actually take a stand to support women being comfortable in their own skin."

For all the young women and girls aspiring to go into their favourite sport, pay heed to what Sana Mir has to say, "You need strong arms, not smooth arms, on a sports field."