Former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again become the focus of off-field cricket discussions, with several former Australian cricket captains writing to Foreign Minister Penny Wong to raise concerns over his treatment in prison.
Khan, who led Pakistan to their 1992 World Cup triumph before entering politics and eventually becoming the country’s Prime Minister, has been imprisoned for more than three years.
Former Australian captains Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh have now written to Wong, expressing humanitarian concerns over Khan’s treatment while in detention.
In their letter, the seven former captains stressed that they were writing “not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak up”.
The group also made it clear that they were not taking a position on the legal or political case against Khan, describing that as a matter for Pakistan. Their concern, they said, was about the treatment of anyone in detention and what they described as “a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics”.
The intervention comes after former international cricket captains from around the world had earlier appealed to the Pakistan government over Khan’s situation.
International Cricket Captains Had Written to Shehbaz Sharif
On August 23, 22 former international cricket captains reportedly wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for improved medical treatment for Khan and raising concerns over whether the care being provided to him was in line with a directive issued by the Supreme Court.
The former captains made three specific requests. They called for the medical board directed by the Supreme Court, including Khan’s own doctors, to be allowed to conduct a full and independent assessment of his health, particularly reports of loss of vision in his right eye.
They also called for the weekly family visits reinstated by the court to be honoured without interruption or administrative delays. Their third request was that any treatment recommended following the medical assessment should be provided without delay.
The August appeal followed an earlier letter sent in February and signed by 14 former international captains.
Pakistan Greats, Pat Cummins Also Speak Out
The issue has also drawn comments from former Pakistan greats Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Moin Khan, who have spoken about Khan’s situation.
Current Australia captain Pat Cummins has also previously voiced concerns over the former Pakistan captain’s circumstances.
The latest letter from the former Australian captains adds to the growing international cricket community’s attention on the treatment of Imran Khan, while making clear that their appeal is focused on humanitarian concerns rather than his political or legal status.
