Twenty-two former international cricket captains and players have again appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over health and medical treatment for Pakistan’s former legend Imran Khan.
The former players wrote to Sharif for the second time in six months. They raised concerns about the failure to fully follow a recent Supreme Court order on Khan’s medical care.
The group includes famous cricket names such as Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Allan Border, Sunil Gavaskar, David Gower, Clive Lloyd, Arjuna Ranatunga, Steve Waugh, John Wright, Kapil Dev, Alastair Cook, Nasser Hussain, Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Strauss.
The former players said they do not want to get involved in Pakistan’s political dispute. They said their concern comes from their cricketing connection with Khan.
They explained their reason for writing the letter: “not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field.”
The letter mainly discusses Khan’s health, access to medical treatment, and the need to follow the court’s orders.
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The new appeal comes after Khan was moved from Adiala Jail to a hospital for a medical check-up.
Cricinfo reported that the Supreme Court ordered Khan’s transfer to a hospital for an examination by a medical board. The board was supposed to include his personal doctors and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. The court also restored weekly visits by his family.
The former captains welcomed the court’s decision but said the authorities did not fully follow it.
They said Khan stayed in the hospital for only a few hours. The letter said: “Concerningly, Mr Khan’s hospital stay lasted only a few hours. He was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the board the Court had directed, declared “medically fit,” and returned to Adiala Jail before that board could complete its work.”
The former players are especially worried about reports that Khan has problems with the vision in his right eye. They want him to receive a full and independent medical examination.
Three clear demands from the former players
The letter makes three clear demands from the Pakistani government.
First, the former captains want the medical board ordered by the Supreme Court to complete a full and independent check-up of imran Khan. The board should include Khan’s own doctors and should especially examine the reported loss of vision in his right eye.
Second, they want Khan’s weekly family visits to continue without any problems or delays.
Third, they want the authorities to provide any treatment that doctors recommend after the medical examination.
So, the appeal is not only about whether Khan has received a medical check-up. The former players also want the correct doctors to carry out the examination, the court’s process to be completed, and the authorities to follow the medical advice.
PTI has also challenged the hospital transfer
The former cricketers made their appeal after Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party took separate legal action.
According to Al Jazeera and Reuters on August 21, PTI filed a contempt petition against the government. The party said authorities took Khan to a government hospital instead of the private hospital that PTI says the Supreme Court had ordered.
Authorities took Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for a short check-up and then returned him to Adiala Jail. PTI also objected because Khan’s personal doctor did not examine him.
The government said doctors found no serious health problem needing immediate care. Minister Attaullah Tarar said security concerns led authorities to choose PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital.
PTI disagreed and said Khan should remain under medical care until mid-September.
Indian cricket stars also support Khan
The appeal has strong support from Indian cricket figures. This is notable because India and Pakistan have a long and intense cricket rivalry.
Former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev are among the people who signed the letter. Former captains from Australia, England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand also signed it.
Gavaskar’s support is especially notable because he and several other former captains also supported the earlier appeal to Sharif.
Fourteen former captains signed the February appeal. They raised concerns about Khan’s eye problems and reports from his family that his vision in one eye had become much worse. The new letter has 22 signatories and comes after Khan’s recent hospital visit.
Their support shows that concern about Khan’s medical treatment has reached beyond Pakistan’s political dispute and into the international cricket community.
Khan’s imprisonment remains controversial
Imran Khan has been in prison since August 2023 after a political dispute with Pakistan’s military and his removal as prime minister.
His supporters say the cases against him are politically motivated. His imprisonment also led to protests across Pakistan, including attacks on military sites.
Imran Khan has received several prison sentences, including 10, 14 and 17 years in corruption cases. Before the 2024 elections, he also received a seven-year sentence in a marriage-related case.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Federation of Human Rights, have raised concerns about his trials and prison conditions. The Pakistani government has rejected these concerns.
Khan’s sons have also accused authorities of psychologically torturing him in prison. His sister, Uzma Khan, has made similar claims. The government has denied these allegations.
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A cricketing appeal puts the spotlight back on Pakistan
The former cricket captains are not trying to solve Pakistan’s political or legal problems. They are simply asking the government to follow the court’s medical order properly and make sure Khan gets the treatment doctors recommend.
The timing is also important. PTI has said that the hospital incident will put more pressure on the government and increase preparations for a planned protest on September 27.
For now, the former players have a simple message: political and legal disputes should not stop Khan from getting an independent medical check-up and proper treatment.
As the legal, political and medical disputes continue, one question remains: Will Pakistan’s authorities fully follow the court’s medical order and address the concerns raised by the former captains? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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