A group of 21 former international cricket captains has appealed to Pakistan’s government to ensure imprisoned former prime minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan receives independent medical assessment, appropriate treatment and regular access to his family amid renewed concerns about his health.
The appeal was made in a letter dated August 23 and addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Signatories include some of the most prominent figures in international cricket, among them Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Clive Lloyd, Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, David Gower, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh and John Wright.
The former captains said their intervention was not intended as a political statement but reflected concern that Khan, now 73, should receive humane treatment and medical care consistent with recent directions from Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
Supreme Court Ordered Private Hospital Transfer
On August 18, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Khan be transferred from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical assessment.
The court also directed the formation of a specialist medical board and allowed Khan’s personal physician and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, to participate in the process. It additionally permitted weekly family meetings and regular telephone contact with his sons.
The intervention followed persistent concerns raised by Khan’s relatives and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, over his health, including problems affecting the vision in his right eye.
However, the government challenged elements of the Supreme Court order, arguing that the former prime minister should be examined at a public hospital rather than the designated private facility.
PTI Says Court Order Was Not Properly Implemented
The dispute intensified after Khan was briefly taken to a state-run medical facility and subsequently returned to prison.
His family and PTI alleged that the arrangement did not satisfy the Supreme Court’s instructions because the examination was conducted by a government-appointed medical team rather than the full board envisaged by the court.
PTI later pursued contempt proceedings, alleging authorities had failed to implement the hospital-transfer order as directed.
Khan’s relatives have also expressed concern about his treatment and conditions in custody, allegations that Pakistani authorities have disputed.
The government has said Khan has undergone repeated medical examinations and has been provided access to doctors, relatives and legal representatives. Pakistan’s Information Ministry has rejected allegations of medical neglect and mistreatment, saying prison and medical records do not support those claims.
Cricketers Call for Independent Assessment
Against that backdrop, the former cricket captains have asked the Sharif government to ensure the court-directed medical process is completed independently.
Their requests focus on three areas: allowing the prescribed medical board, including Khan’s own doctors, to conduct a comprehensive assessment; ensuring court-approved weekly family visits occur without unnecessary interruption; and providing any treatment recommended by the medical specialists without delay.
The letter specifically refers to concerns surrounding Khan’s reported loss of vision in his right eye.
The signatories argued that whatever political or legal disputes surround Khan, compliance with a court-ordered medical assessment should be regarded as a basic humanitarian matter rather than a partisan issue.
Second Intervention by International Cricket Figures
The latest appeal is not the first time prominent former players have raised concerns about Khan.
In February, 14 former international captains issued an earlier call seeking immediate medical attention for the jailed former prime minister.
Seven additional former captains have now joined the latest initiative.
Former Australian captain Greg Chappell helped organise both appeals.
Chappell has previously said the initiative should be regarded as a humanitarian intervention by former sporting colleagues rather than an attempt to interfere directly in Pakistani politics.
Several signatories either played alongside Khan or competed against him during his long international cricket career.
Some of Cricket’s Biggest Names Sign Letter
The appeal brings together former captains from Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.
Among the Indian signatories are Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, while Sri Lanka’s former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga also signed.
Australia is represented by figures including Allan Border, Greg and Ian Chappell, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh, Kim Hughes, Alex Blackwell and Belinda Clark.
Former England captains Michael Atherton, Michael Brearley, Alastair Cook, David Gower, Nasser Hussain and Andrew Strauss are also listed among the signatories.
Notably, no former Pakistani captain appears among the 21 signatories, although Pakistani cricketers have separately spoken publicly about Khan’s health and imprisonment.
From World Cup Hero to Prime Minister
Khan remains one of Pakistan’s most celebrated sporting figures.
The all-rounder represented Pakistan for more than two decades and led the national side to its historic 1992 Cricket World Cup victory, the country’s first and so far only men’s 50-over World Cup title.
His success as captain, fast bowler and batsman turned him into one of Pakistan’s most recognisable public figures long before his entry into politics.
Khan later founded PTI and became prime minister in 2018.
His government was removed through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022, after which relations between Khan, his political movement and Pakistan’s powerful establishment deteriorated sharply.
Khan Has Been Imprisoned Since 2023
Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and has faced convictions and legal proceedings in several cases.
He and PTI have repeatedly characterised the prosecutions as politically motivated, while Pakistani authorities maintain that the cases have been handled through the country’s judicial system.
Despite his imprisonment, Khan remains a major force in Pakistani politics and commands a substantial following.
His detention has generated demonstrations by supporters and repeated legal battles involving prison conditions, access to lawyers and relatives, medical treatment and the status of various convictions.
Government and PTI Remain at Odds Over Treatment
The handling of Khan’s recent hospital assessment has become another point of confrontation.
The government has argued that appropriate medical care is available within the public system and has rejected claims that Khan is being deliberately denied treatment.
PTI and Khan’s relatives maintain that his personal doctors should be given greater access and that the Supreme Court’s order should be implemented exactly as issued.
Pakistan’s government formally sought a review of the order directing treatment at Shifa International Hospital, arguing that prison regulations should determine the medical facilities available to a convicted prisoner.
The disagreement has therefore become both a medical-care dispute and another legal test in the prolonged confrontation surrounding the former prime minister.
Cricket Community Frames Appeal as Humanitarian
The international players have attempted to keep their intervention separate from that wider political battle.
Their message focuses narrowly on health, family access and compliance with the judicial process.
For many of the signatories, Khan is remembered primarily as a former opponent and fellow captain from an era when he was one of international cricket’s dominant personalities.
That shared sporting history has given the appeal unusual international prominence.
Their intervention also underlines the extraordinary trajectory of Khan’s public life — from one of cricket’s most famous captains to prime minister and now one of Pakistan’s most consequential imprisoned political figures.
Pressure Grows Ahead of Further Court Proceedings
The medical dispute is unlikely to disappear quickly.
Pakistan’s courts are expected to continue considering questions surrounding Khan’s treatment and detention, while PTI remains under pressure to secure greater access to its jailed leader.
The Supreme Court’s intervention has already placed additional scrutiny on how prison authorities implement medical and visitation arrangements.
With prominent cricketers now adding their voices to calls for an independent assessment, the issue has also moved beyond Pakistan’s domestic political arena.
The signatories are not asking the government to resolve Khan’s criminal cases or determine his political future.
Their central demand is simpler: that the former Pakistan captain receive timely, independent and court-compliant medical care, together with the family access already authorised by the judiciary.
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