The first Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s was overshadowed by a controversy involving former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan and his sons, Kasim and Sulaiman.
During the lunch break, Sky Sports showed an interview with former England captain Michael Atherton and the two sons of Imran Khan. The brothers spoke about their father’s imprisonment, his health, his medical care and the problems they have faced while trying to visit or speak to him.
The interview also led to a formal complaint from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The board reportedly raised concerns about the timing and content of the broadcast.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB spoke to Sky Sports before the interview was shown. The board also discussed a stronger response, which could have included Pakistan’s players staying off the field at the start of the second session.
However, Sky Sports eventually showed the interview, and Pakistan’s players returned to the field for the second session.
Imran Khan sons reveal when they last saw and spoke to him
The interview began with Atherton asking the brothers about their contact with their father, who has been in prison since 2023.
Sulaiman said he last saw Imran after the assassination attempt that left the former Pakistan captain with a gunshot wound to his leg. He said November 22 was their last meeting.
Kasim said the brothers last spoke to Imran on the phone a few months earlier.
“In March. So we got to speak to him. Yeah. Around five or six months ago…. I’m not sure whether that’s because of our call or them just tightening the restrictions on him and furthering this kind of sense of isolation and torture”, Kasim said.
Sulaiman also said other family members in Pakistan had struggled to see Imran for months.
“No one until last week. No one’s been able to see him for 10 months despite them going to the jail every week to attempt to see him”, Sulaiman said.
The brothers were then asked about the Pakistani government’s claim that they could visit their father.
Kasim said the family had tried several times to get visas, but claimed their applications were blocked.
“Well, we’ve tried multiple times. The visas essentially are blocked. The visas we apply for are blocked for technical reasons. They said at one point they’re stalled in others… and essentially they just clearly don’t want us to go for one reason or another”, Kasim said.
He added that the family believed the authorities might fear the brothers could help efforts to secure their father’s release.
Sulaiman said visiting Pakistan could carry some personal risk, but seeing his father remained the main priority.
Kasim and Sulaiman raise concerns over Imran Khan health
A major part of the interview focused on Imran Khan’s physical and mental health in prison.
Kasim said his father remained positive during their phone calls. He also said Imran was always interested in knowing how the family was doing.
“He’s always upbeat. He’s always kind of his usual self. Very kind of, very keen to hear how we are, how our family is, how everyone is, you know, in the outside world”, Kasim said.
He explained that Imran often spoke very quickly because the calls could end without warning.
“And very kind of, you know, speaking very quickly because every time we have one of these calls, they’re cut off randomly. You never know how long we’re going to get. Somewhere approximately around 20 minutes, but it’s been as short as six minutes before”, Kasim added.
Sulaiman then spoke about a serious issue with his father’s eyesight. As per him, Imran had told the family that he had an eye problem and believed he had lost much of the vision in one eye.
“He had an eye issue. I think he’s lost about 80% of the vision in one of his eyes. So he told us about that. He told us that he complained about it for months, and it was being ignored. He wasn’t getting proper treatment”, Sulaiman said.
Sons Raise Concerns Over His Prison Conditions
He also spoke about the conditions in which Imran was being held. He mentioned the small size of his cell, the heat during summer, and his limited access to new books.
“But he’s not really one to complain in general. So that was when we would press him and ask him about how his health is. We know that his general conditions aren’t great”, Sulaiman added.
He continued: “It’s a very small cell. He isn’t allowed new books. So he’s kind of going through the same books that he’s had, since his first 6 months in there. It’s a hot cell in the summer with no proper kind of air conditioning and stuff like that.”
Kasim said the family had heard from Imran that his prison conditions had become even worse recently.
“I just add that the last time he was able to speak to our aunties and anyone else, he did say that the conditions have severely worsened recently, that he’s been relating it to other political prisoners who have been killed, I guess you would say, or have died in prison”, Kasim said.
He claimed Imran was now spending more than 23 hours a day in isolation.
“And right now it’s worse than ever. They’re completely isolating him more than 23 hours a day in a cell”, Kasim added.
The brothers said they were especially worried because they had rarely seen their father look stressed or anxious.
Kasim remembered an incident when Imran stayed calm even when someone robbed the car they were travelling in.
“So to hear him stressed, anxious, or disturbed is very very difficult to hear”, Kasim said.
Supreme Court order and concerns over medical treatment
The interview also covered a recent Supreme Court order about Imran Khan’s medical check-up and treatment.
Sulaiman said the family was relieved when they heard about the order. However, they were still careful because he claimed that earlier court orders had not always been followed.
“There was a sense of relief, but I’d say we were cautiously optimistic because there have been so many court orders that have been completely ignored by the establishment”, Sulaiman said.
The family became more worried when Imran was taken to a government medical center instead of the private hospital they expected him to visit.
“And yeah, so our fears were kind of confirmed when, instead of being taken to the private hospital that the Supreme Court ordered, he was meant to be taken, he was just taken to a government medical facility for a few hours and then taken straight back to jail”, Sulaiman added.
Kasim said government doctors checked Imran instead of doctors chosen by his family.
He said this was frustrating because the family and doctors were already waiting for Imran at the private hospital.
“No, no, no. So he was he was checked on by government selected physicians, doctors, things like that. It was a short checkup”, Kasim said.
Kasim questioned why an independent doctor was not allowed to examine Imran.
“So extremely frustrating that that element, especially he still hasn’t been properly checked up by an unbiased independent physician or doctor”, Kasim added.
He said the family was now asking why the authorities were not allowing an independent doctor to check Imran.
“And and it just makes us think, you know what, are they hiding? Why are they so so fearful of allowing him to get reported uh on by an unbiased neutral um doctor?”, Kasim said.
Family Worried About Imran’s Overall Health
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Sulaiman said the family was now worried about more than just Imran’s eye problem. They were also concerned about his overall health.
“I think it’s his general health and well-being at this point as well”, Sulaiman said.
He added that the family had recently heard that Imran was facing high blood pressure. They believed the stress of isolation and being kept alone could be a reason.
“But now we’ve heard that he’s got rising blood pressure due to kind of just the stress of isolation and solitary confinement”, Sulaiman added.
Why did Imran Khan sons become more vocal?
Kasim explained that he and his brother did not become deeply involved in media campaigns about their father’s imprisonment at first.
He said they believed Imran would only stay in prison for a short time. He also said they were already used to unusual and dangerous events in their father’s political life.
“I think it was the kind of stagnation. And it was just there it got to when he first went in, we were used to kind of things happening with him which were extraordinary and kind of dangerous, and you know, him getting shot, him falling off the top of a platform, you know, assassination attempts, multiple”, Kasim said.
The brothers initially thought Imran would leave prison soon.
“And so when he first went to prison, we thought it was going to be probably a short stay, and then, you know, as often happens in Pakistan”, Kasim added.
However, the situation changed as more time passed.
“But then as time passed, it kind of just dragged on and on, and it felt more and more helpless as it kind of went out of any of the newspapers. He was still there”, Kasim said.
The brothers then decided that speaking publicly about their father could help bring more attention to his situation.
“We eventually just thought, you know, if we can make any kind of difference, then there’s probably a time to act”, Kasim added.
Family Says Now Is the Time to Speak Up
Kasim said the current situation felt like an important moment for the family.
“And now it really feels like there’s a kind of this is a moment that we need to kind of jump on because they’re not even acting with much strategy anymore”, Kasim said.
He then made a serious allegation about the authorities. He claimed they were trying to keep Imran in prison for as long as possible and silence him.
“It’s very, very clear what they’re doing, which is they’re just blatantly trying to kind of kill him in there. They just want to keep him in there as long as possible and hopefully just silence him”, Kasim added.
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Brothers say pressure has produced mixed results
Kasim was also asked if the brothers felt their media campaign and efforts to create international pressure were making a difference.
“It’s hard to say at times it seems like it is making an impact because we you know, sometimes they retaliate”, Kasim said.
He remembered one incident when their phone calls were blocked after an earlier interview.
“There was a time when, you know, after we did our first interview, they blocked calls; we were having semi-regular calls once every two months or so…..”, Kasim added.
Kasim said such actions gave the family some hope that their campaign was being noticed.
“I would say that sort of gives some element of hope that they are taking notice, but the way that they are run, it’s like a military dictatorship; they have all power in Pakistan, so even with the pressure we’re putting on, they have the final say”, Kasim said.
The brothers also spoke about the response from the UK government and the cricket community. Sulaiman said the family was disappointed with what they saw as a weak response from the UK Foreign Office.
“Yeah, I’d say we have been disappointed. There hasn’t been, yeah, whenever we’ve reached out to the Foreign Office, the previous foreign secretary, there’s just been such a like feeble response”, Sulaiman said.
The brothers also explained why some former Pakistani cricketers may not be willing to publicly support their father.
“But it’s just so difficult for them to voice their real opinions in what’s basically a military dictatorship where there are serious crackdowns on any sort of dissent”, Sulaiman said.
Why Imran Khan’s sons say they do not regret his political career
Atherton also spoke about Imran’s move from cricket to politics. He asked whether his sons ever wished their father had chosen a quieter life after retirement.
Kasim said politics was an important part of his father’s identity. He also said he admired Imran’s goal of fighting corruption and poverty in Pakistan.
“I think for him it was it’s it is who he is, you know, as pretty much as long as we’ve known him, cuz he entered politics from as young as I can remember”, Kasim said.
He explained that he deeply respected Imran’s political goals.
“And seeing him as someone who is so passionate about ridding Pakistan of corruption, pulling people out of poverty, and hopefully bringing Pakistan out of the kind of rut it’s in”, Kasim added.
Kasim said he believed his father would not want to choose a different life just for his own comfort.
“That kind of ambition, that drive and that nobility of that is something I admire more than anything about him”, Kasim said.
Despite the personal cost, Kasim said he did not think it would be fair to the people of Pakistan to ignore what his father had tried to do.
“I don’t think it would be fair to the people of Pakistan to rid them of of of was trying to do and has been doing for them”, Kasim said.
The interview ended with a lighter cricket-related moment. Both brothers confirmed that they would support Pakistan when the team played England at Lord’s.
Sulaiman said he would always support Pakistan when they play England. Kasim agreed with his brother.
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Why did Pakistan threaten to boycott the Lord’s Test?
The interview had already created tension before Sky Sports showed it.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB raised concerns with Sky Sports about the interview with Imran Khan’s sons. The board reportedly considered a stronger response. This could have included Pakistan’s players not returning to the field at the start of the second session.
The main concern was that the interview was being shown during the England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s. It turned a cricket broadcast into a platform for discussion about Pakistan’s political situation and Imran Khan’s imprisonment.
Sky Sports first held back the interview after talks with the PCB. However, the 18-minute conversation was later shown during the interval.
Pakistan’s players eventually returned to the field, so the threatened boycott did not happen.
The interview was recorded at Lord’s on Wednesday morning. The Writers’ Room was used for the interview. However, viewers in Pakistan did not see the segment because the local rights-holder did not show it.
Pakistan government rejects allegations made by Imran Khan’s sons
Sky Sports also shared more information about Pakistan’s official response during the broadcast.
According to the Associated Press, the Pakistan government rejected the allegations of mistreatment and medical neglect involving Imran Khan.
The government said Imran Khan was being held as a convicted prisoner in a seven-cell compound with exercise facilities. It also said he had access to home-cooked food, books and television. The government further said Imran had received more than 900 visits since his imprisonment in 2023.
The government also said Imran was sent back to prison after doctors found him medically fit.
Sky Sports also asked the UK government for a response.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Pakistan’s judicial process was a domestic matter and that the UK does not interfere in it. It also said UK ministers had regularly raised the need for Pakistan to follow its constitution and international human rights obligations, including in relation to Imran Khan.
The FCDO also said it had given the Pakistan government another chance to respond.
What happens next for Imran Khan and his family?
The Lord’s controversy has become much bigger than a disagreement over a TV interview.
For Kasim and Sulaiman, the interview gave them a chance to speak about what they say are worsening conditions for their father. They also spoke about problems with independent medical care and regular family visits.
The Pakistan government has rejected these allegations. It has pointed to Imran’s prison facilities, visits and medical assessment.
The PCB’s concerns also show how sensitive Imran Khan’s name remains in Pakistan’s cricket environment, even years after he moved from cricket to politics.
Pakistan’s players eventually returned to the field at Lord’s. However, the debate around Imran Khan’s imprisonment is likely to remain part of the wider cricket conversation.
Do you think the Imran Khan interview should have been broadcast during the England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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