Cricket Legends Call for Proper Medical Care for Imran Khan
The former cricket captain and former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, is facing a dire health crisis in his jail cell. 73‑year‑old Khan reportedly lost vision in one eye after a brief court‑ordered medical examination last week, raising fears that authorities lack proper medical oversight. However, the Supreme Court has already summoned a private hospital to provide the needed care.
In an emergency letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, 21 former cricket skippers – including Australian veteran Greg Chappell, India’s Sunil Gavaskar and England’s Alastair Cook – demanded that Khan receive a comprehensive assessment from a Supreme Court‑directed medical board that includes his own doctors. They also insisted on weekly family visits as per the court order and called for rapid delivery of any treatment.
In prior appeals, 14 of the signatories sought “humane treatment and proper medical care,” but the Pakistani authorities refused to transfer Khan to a private medical facility. The letters highlight the need for a formal, court‑mandated process that transcends political conflicts and prioritizes the welfare of a detainee with a significant medical history.
With his legal team arguing that Khan faces more than 100 corruption cases – all said to be politically motivated – the cricketers’ plea underscores an unprecedented cross‑national solidarity to protect a high‑profile figure in a volatile judicial climate.
The letters, published by the cricketing community, have drawn attention to an ongoing humanitarian debate that sits at the intersection of sport, politics, and prison law in Pakistan.
