Signed by Mike Atherton, Nasir Hussain, Mike Brierley, David Gower, Clive Lloyd, John Wright, Greg Chappell, Anne Chappell, Alan Border, Steve Waugh, Belinda Clarke and Kim Hughes
Cricket greats have demanded that the Pakistan government ensure Imran Khan immediate and proper medical care, dignified treatment and free access to the legal process
Dr. Akhtar Gulfam, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Dawn, Director, News Dawn TV
London/Mumbai/Sydney: Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have joined more than a dozen former international captains who have called for a better life for cricket’s ‘best all-rounder’ and former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in jail. Demanding treatment.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, 73, has been in jail since August 2023.
He has been convicted in several cases, all of which he says were politically motivated following his dismissal following a 2022 parliamentary vote.
Imran Khan’s lawyer told the Supreme Court last week that the former cricketer had suffered a significant loss of vision in his right eye while in jail.
However, a medical board on Monday said that the swelling had reduced after treatment and his vision had improved.
Despite strained relations between India and Pakistan, former captains Gavaskar and Kapil Dev signed a petition expressing “deep concern” over Khan’s treatment and prison conditions.
“Many of us have competed against him, played with him on the field or admired his all-round ability, charisma and competitive spirit,” the petition said.
“Recent reports about his health, particularly the alarming deterioration of his eyesight in custody and the conditions in prison over the past two and a half years, have left us deeply concerned.”
“As cricketers who believe in the principles of fair play, dignity and respect in sport, we believe that a figure of the stature of Imran Khan should be treated in a manner befitting a former national leader and global sporting icon.”
The petition was also signed by former Australian captain Greg Chappell, his brother Anne Chappell and Australian players Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Belinda Clarke and Kim Hughes.
England’s Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Mike Brierley and David Gower also signed, while West Indies’ Clive Lloyd and New Zealand’s John Wright also joined.
The cricketing greats have ‘respectfully’ demanded that the Pakistani government ensure Imran Khan immediate and appropriate medical care, dignified treatment and free access to legal process.
The petition added that ‘our shared cricketing past reminds us that when stumps are uprooted, rivalry ends and respect remains. Imran Khan represented this spirit throughout his career.’
Imran Khan played 88 Tests and 175 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan between 1971 and 1992 and led Pakistan to its only ODI World Cup victory in 1992.
His son Qasim Khan told Reuters that the immediate concern was his father’s health, but there were also several other important issues, including ‘his freedom, adherence to valid human rights requirements, the rule of law and ensuring that he gets a fair trial.’
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