A cohort of former cricket captains, from Sunil Gavaskar of India to Sir Alastair Cook of England, has pressed Pakistan’s leadership to ensure former prime minister Imran Khan receives proper medical care while in custody.
In a joint letter to current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the former cricketers outlined three demands: a medical board directed by the Supreme Court that includes Khan’s own doctors; weekly, uninterrupted visits by his family, as ordered by the court; and the prompt provision of any treatment recommended by that board.
The ex‑captains note that Khan, now 73, has spent more than three years in detention since the August 2023 corruption trial. He has challenged the charges as politically motivated, while his lawyers alleged he retains only 15 % vision in his right eye after a government‑run hospital deemed him “medically fit” and returned him to prison.
Signatories include England’s Michael Atherington, Michael Brearley, Nasser Hussain, as well as Australian legends Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and Kirsten Belinda Clark. The collective message stresses that their shared cricketing bond transcends national disputes.
“Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring a court‑ordered medical process is completed is not, in our view, a controversial request,” the letter stated.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court had recently directed the government to move Khan to a private hospital for examination. Instead, Khan was inspected by government doctors before being returned to prison, sparking further calls for compliance with the court’s order.
The appeal underlines the heightened ethical responsibilities faced by a state even in the detention of a high‑profile political figure.
