File image of Laura Wright.© AFP
A different rendition of the Pakistan national anthem took place ahead of their first Test against England at Headingley, as it was sung in Urdu by English singer Laura Wright. While the rendition split opinions online, Wright revealed the incredible effort she had put in to master the pronunciation of the Pakistan anthem. In a recent interview, Wright shared that she had been learning Urdu – Pakistan’s national language – for six months. Wright had also sung the Indian national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ in Bengali during India’s Test series against England in 2025.
Wright, who has gained fame for singing national anthems at various global events, revealed the work she had put in to learn Urdu and Bengali.
“It’s such an honour to be asked to sing any anthem, and I’d never take it for granted. The Indian and Pakistan ones are real challenges, and when I’m asked I really do think about it before I say yes because I have to be sure I can get it right,” Wright said, in an interview with the Athletic.
“I need to know I’ve got enough time to learn it and I’ve been working on Urdu for the last six months. This is not someone saying: ‘Can you come in and sing Jerusalem’. It’s much bigger than that, but this will be a huge privilege for me and I just hope to do it justice,” the mezzo-soprano said, on the opportunity to be able to sing the Pakistan national anthem.
A stunning performance and a beautiful start to this Test series.@thelaurawright sings the national anthem of Pakistan a cappella. pic.twitter.com/zkTiRN60PU
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) August 19, 2026
Wright also revealed that she had been nervous before singing the Indian national anthem.
“Singing the Indian anthem for the first time was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been. When you study classical music you’re given a basic understanding of Italian and German, but when you do anthems you come across so many different languages.
“I spent so long listening to the Indian anthem and time with two or three people speaking it so I could listen to the pronunciation, the phrasing and understand what the words meant. That’s part of this career that people don’t see,” she elaborated.
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