Former cricket captains urge Pakistan PM to ensure medical care for Imran Khan

A coalition of twenty-one former international cricket captains has renewed an urgent appeal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanding humane treatment and proper medical care for jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, according to reports. The fresh intervention from the sporting figures follows allegations that government authorities failed to comply with judicial directives regarding the health and welfare of the country's first-ever World Cup-winning captain.

Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Greg Chappell are among the twenty-one signatories who addressed the government not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals. According to the appeal, the group shares a bond forged on the cricket field that transcends the borders and disputes that divide countries. The coalition previously sent an appeal several months prior with fourteen signatories, but expanded their group with seven additional former captains following subsequent developments in custody.

Chronology of the Medical Dispute

• August 18: The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered that Imran Khan be transferred from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for examination by a medical board including his personal physicians and his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan. The court also reinstated weekly family visits, with the order stipulating he be kept at the hospital until the next hearing scheduled for September 16.
• Night of August 20–21: Instead of the designated hospital stay, Khan was briefly taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad for examination before being returned to Adiala Jail before the court-ordered medical board could complete its work.

The legal petition filed by Khan's sister, Dr. Uzma Khan, names Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif alongside Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig. The filing accuses the government and senior officials of violating the top court's order and seeks contempt proceedings, alleging wilful, deliberate, and contumacious disobedience. The petition contends that returning Khan to prison after a brief assessment by a state-appointed team, rather than the court-ordered board, undermines the judiciary's authority and warrants cognisance by the court.

The international cricket figures expressed deep concern over the reported loss of vision in Khan's right eye, noting that he is seventy-three years old and has spent more than three years in custody. The former captains' letter insists that ensuring a court-ordered medical process is completed should not be controversial. They have requested that the independent medical board be permitted to finish its assessment, that weekly family visits proceed without administrative delay, and that any recommended medical treatment be administered immediately. Telugu OneIndia noted that Khan has faced years of legal cases and restrictions while in custody, while his family and leaders of his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, have termed the failure to transfer him a violation of the Supreme Court order.

The full roster of the twenty-one captains supporting the appeal spans multiple cricketing nations and eras:

The petition asks the Supreme Court to issue show-cause notices to the respondents, direct them to appear personally, and seek appropriate punishment alongside necessary steps to implement the court directions. Pending judicial decisions include the upcoming court hearing set for September 16, as the legal and medical dispute over Khan's detention and care continues to unfold.