22 former international cricket captains appeal to Pakistan over Imran Khan's medical care

A group of 22 former international cricket captains addressed a joint letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday, appealing for proper medical care, independent health evaluations, and basic rights for jailed former prime minister and 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan.

Initiated by former Australia captain Greg Chappell, the letter marks the second major international petition by global cricket legends regarding the 73-year-old's incarceration conditions.

What specific requests did the cricket captains make in their letter?

The letter—signed by iconic figures including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, and Clive Lloyd—outlined three core demands regarding Khan's treatment:

• Independent Medical Assessment: The former captains urged the Pakistani government to allow the multidisciplinary medical board mandated by the Supreme Court, including Khan's personal physicians, to conduct an unrestricted, independent evaluation of his health, with particular emphasis on addressing reported vision loss in his right eye.
• Uninterrupted Family Access: The signatories requested that weekly family visits reinstated by the apex court be honored consistently without administrative delays or procedural interruptions.
• Immediate Treatment Execution: The letter asked that any medical treatment or surgical procedures recommended by the independent medical board be administered without delay.

According to ESPNCricinfo, the signatories emphasized that they were writing not as political commentators, but as former colleagues bound by sportsmanship. They stated that ensuring a court-ordered medical evaluation is fully honored represents a basic matter of human decency.

How does the captains' appeal relate to recent Supreme Court proceedings?

The joint letter follows widespread controversy surrounding the government's execution of a Supreme Court mandate issued earlier in the week. Although the apex court directed authorities to transfer Khan from Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail to Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital for evaluation by a specialized board, security convoys diverted him overnight to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) before returning him to custody hours later.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a formal contempt of court petition before the Supreme Court on Saturday against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers for failing to comply with judicial instructions.

The former captains noted that Khan's brief, diverted hospital visit fell short of the Supreme Court's explicit directions, prompting their renewed appeal to the federal government.