In brief
A collective of former cricket captains—including Sunil Gavaskar, Sir Alastair Cook, Greg Chappell and others—has written to Pakistan’s leader, demanding that ex‑PM Imran Khan receive thorough medical evaluation and timely treatment. The letter cites Khan’s loss of vision, restricted hospital access and stalled family visits. It also references the Supreme Court’s mandate to allow Khan’s own doctors to assess him. The call underscores the sport’s camaraderie transcending national divides, while echoing earlier pleas for humane treatment of the detainee.
Former international cricket captains, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar, England’s Sir Alastair Cook and Australia’s Greg Chappell, have jointly urged Pakistan’s government to honour a Supreme Court order requiring proper medical assessment of ex‑prime minister Imran Khan.
The 73‑year‑old, imprisoned since 2023 on alleged corruption charges, reportedly receives only “a few hours” of care in a state hospital and has been denied visits from his own physicians, despite a court directive. The signatories also demand that family visits occur regularly, without administrative delays.
Key demands in the letter include:
- A medical board appointed by the Supreme Court, including Khan’s personal doctors, to evaluate his health—particularly the alleged loss of vision in his right eye.
- Uninterrupted weekly family visits, as ordered by the court.
- Immediate provision of any treatment prescribed by the board, free of further delay.
The collective, which also lists former England, India and Australia captains such as Michael Atherton, Kapil Dev and Adam Gilchrist, describe themselves as "former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field," emphasising that such a bond transcends national disputes.
Khan, once captain of Pakistan’s national team and its prime minister from 2018 to 2022, faced a mass protest by supporters when he was jailed in August 2023, prompting a government crackdown. He faces over 100 corruption and alleged state‑secret convictions that his party Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf claims are politically motivated.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court had recently directed that Khan be moved to a private hospital for examination by independent doctors. Instead, he was inspected at a government hospital that deemed him “medically fit” before his return to prison.
The former cricket captains’ latest appeal follows a similar request submitted earlier in February, underscoring persistent concerns about humane treatment and the fulfilment of court orders.
