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// DOSSIER — former-cricket-captains-appeal-pakistan-pm-imran-khan
Former International Cricket Captains Appeal to Pakistan PM Over Imran Khan's Medical Care
REL_TIME: 24 Aug 2026 10:42Z · LANG: EN
A group of 21 former international cricket captains, including India's Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, have issued a renewed appeal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure proper medical care and humane treatment for jailed former Prime Minister and cricket legend Imran Khan. Initiated by former Australian captain Greg Chappell, this second letter follows a previous appeal sent six months ago. The captains urged the Pakistani government to respect a Supreme Court order by allowing an independent medical board—including Khan's personal physicians—to assess his health, particularly regarding reported vision loss in his right eye. They also demanded uninterrupted weekly family visits and immediate implementation of any recommended medical treatments, emphasizing that their plea is a matter of basic decency rather than political interference.
// Background
Imran Khan, the 73-year-old former Prime Minister of Pakistan and 1992 World Cup-winning cricket captain, has been held in state custody for over three years. Amid ongoing legal battles, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered his transfer to a hospital for an independent medical assessment by a board including his personal doctors and sister, alongside reinstating weekly family visits. However, his supporters and family allege these directives were bypassed when he was quickly returned to Adiala Jail after a brief examination by state-appointed doctors.
// Key Developments
- 21 former international cricket captains from India, Australia, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand signed the appeal to PM Shehbaz Sharif.
- The appeal is a follow-up to a letter sent six months ago by 14 captains, with seven additional captains joining the cause.
- The captains highlighted that Imran Khan's recent hospital transfer lasted only a few hours and bypassed the Supreme Court-mandated medical board in favor of a state-appointed team.
- Key demands include an independent health assessment (specifically addressing Khan's right-eye vision loss), uninterrupted weekly family visits, and prompt medical treatment.
- The signatories stressed that their intervention is non-political, rooted in their shared cricketing history with the 73-year-old former Pakistan captain.
// Timeline
-
A group of 14 former international cricket captains sends the first letter to PM Shehbaz Sharif appealing for humane treatment for Imran Khan.
-
A group of 21 former captains (including 7 new signatories) issues a renewed appeal to the Pakistan Prime Minister following Khan's brief, disputed hospital examination.
// Perspectives
[21 Former International Cricket Captains]
Advocating for humane treatment, uninterrupted family visits, and a complete independent medical evaluation for Imran Khan as ordered by the Supreme Court, framing it as a matter of basic decency and peer solidarity.
[Imran Khan's Family and Legal Team]
Expressing concern that Khan's brief hospital stay and examination by a state-appointed team fell short of the Supreme Court's directives, with his son alleging he is subjected to psychological torture in a 'death cell'.
[Pakistan Government / State Authorities]
Returned Khan to Adiala Jail after a brief hospital stay, declaring him 'medically fit' based on an examination by a state-appointed team rather than the court-directed board.
// Quotes
“We wrote then not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field, one that transcends the borders and disputes that too often divide countries.”
“Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring a court-ordered medical process is actually completed is not, in our view, a controversial request.”
