In a post on Facebook, Mir, Pakistan’s leading female cricketer, attacked adverts that make women and girls concerned about their appearance.

“Make no mistake: you need strong arms, not smooth arms, on a sports field,” Mir wrote.

She also noted that she has turned down a number of opportunities to endorse products that she did not feel sent out the correct message to young women.

[caption id=”attachment_69056″ align=”alignnone” width=”800″] Sana Mir of Pakistan with schoolchildren at an ICC Cricket for Good clinic in Leicester[/caption]

Speaking of an advert airing in Pakistan, Mir added: “It’s 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.

“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. One of the ad campaigns that has finally pushed me to come forward with my concern is the latest campaign by a company promoting a hair removal cream,” she added.

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“Are the talent, passion and skill of a girl not enough for her to play sports? There are female sports icons around the world who have made their way to the top because of their skill, talent and hard work, not because of the colour or texture of their skin.”

Mir has represented Pakistan 190 times combined between ODI and T20 appearances, taking 197 wickets in those matches, with a best of 5/32.