Former cricket captains appeal Pakistan govt over Khan care

More than a dozen former international cricket captains, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, rallied Tuesday for jailed Pakistan ex-premier Imran Khan, appealing the Islamabad government to give him “adequate” medical treatment.

The statement, signed by 14 captains and seen by AFP, demands the proper care of Khan, a former World Cup-winning captain who according to his lawyer has lost most of the vision in his right eye.

Khan has been in jail since 2023 and was sentenced late last year along with his wife to 17 years on corruption charges they both deny.

His lawyer visited Khan in jail last week and later submitted a report to Pakistan’s chief justice and the Supreme Court detailing his concerns and requesting treatment for his client.

The statement signed by the former cricket skippers “respectfully” urges Pakistan “to ensure that Imran Khan receives immediate, adequate and ongoing medical attention from qualified specialists of his choosing”.

The campaign is led by former Australian captain and contemporary of Khan, Greg Chappell.

“Khan deserves fair and transparent access to legal processes without undue delay or hindrance,” the statement said.

Other signatories are Michael Atherton, Michael Brearley, Nasser Hussain and David Gower (England), Allan Border, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Steve Waugh and Kim Hughes (Australia), Clive Lloyd (West Indies) and John Wright (New Zealand).

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has already requested a report on Khan’s living conditions in the Adiala jail near Rawalpindi, in connection with a case that has been pending since 2023.

Authorities had previously confirmed that Khan underwent a 20-minute medical procedure in January at Islamabad’s government hospital but gave no other details.

“Recent reports concerning his health — particularly the alarming deterioration of his vision while in custody — and the conditions of his imprisonment over the past two and a half years have caused us profound concern,” the captains said, calling for “decency and justice”.

Khan was prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.

He has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges.

Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, maintain that the cases against him are politically motivated.

His arrest triggered nationwide protests in May 2023, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.

The office of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told AFP it had not yet received the captains’ statement.