Why International Cricket Captains Are Calling for Imran Khan's Proper Medical Care
Twenty-one former international cricket captains have written to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanding that the jailed former premier and ex-Pakistan captain Imran Khan receive independent medical treatment. The letter, signed by figures including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sir Alastair Cook, and Clive Lloyd, marks the second time in six months that cricket luminaries have publicly intervened in Khan's detention.
Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023. He faces more than 100 cases ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, all of which he and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party deny as politically motivated. He served as prime minister from 2018 until his ouster in a no-confidence vote in 2022.
What the Medical Dispute Involves
The immediate trigger for the latest appeal is a disputed hospital visit. On August 20, Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer Khan from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to a private hospital, Shifa International, for examination by a medical board that would include his personal physicians. The court also reinstated weekly family visits.
According to Khan's party and his lawyers, he was instead taken to a state-run hospital, examined by a government-appointed team, declared "medically fit," and returned to prison within hours. The party has filed a contempt petition over the alleged defiance of the court order.
Specific Health Concerns
The captains' letter highlights the reported loss of vision in Khan's right eye. His lawyer previously claimed Khan had only 15% vision remaining in that eye after prison authorities failed to act. A UN torture expert in December 2024 raised concerns about Khan's cell conditions, describing a small space lacking natural light and adequate ventilation, warning the conditions could amount to torture.
Khan's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, held a press conference on August 25 stating their father's life is at risk. They described a cell measuring 1.8 by 2.4 metres, with no natural light for 23 hours a day. Pakistani authorities dispute solitary confinement claims, stating Khan has access to exercise equipment, home-cooked food, and reading material, and that his separation from other prisoners is for security reasons.
What the Captains Are Demanding
The August 23 letter makes three requests. First, that the Supreme Court-mandated medical board, including Khan's own doctors, be permitted to complete a full and independent assessment of his health, particularly the vision loss. Second, that weekly family visits ordered by the court be honoured without interruption. Third, that any recommended treatment be provided without delay.
The letter states: "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."
Why This Matters
The incident exposes a confrontation between Pakistan's judiciary and the government over the treatment of a former prime minister. It also places the country's human rights record under international scrutiny from a group of figures with no political stake in Pakistan's internal disputes—former cricket captains from India, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies. Notably, no former Pakistani captains were among the signatories, although several Pakistani cricketers have voiced concerns individually in the past.
Khan remains one of Pakistan's most popular political figures despite his imprisonment. The court-ordered medical process has become a test of whether the rule of law will prevail, and international attention shows no sign of fading.