Fourteen former international cricket captains have urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure former captain Imran Khan receives immediate medical attention and humane treatment in prison.
The appeal follows reports that the 1992 World Cup-winning captain has suffered serious deterioration in vision, with his family claiming he is almost completely blind in one eye amid allegations of medical neglect.
According to The Age, the letter was drafted by former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell and signed by prominent former captains who competed against or admired Imran during their international careers.
Those who signed include Australian cricketers Ian Chappell and Allan Border, Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, West Indian cricketer Clive Lloyd, and England cricketers Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain.
The signatories said recent reports about the former all-rounder’s health and the conditions of his imprisonment over the past two and a half years had caused them profound concern.
They described his contribution to cricket as universally admired, recalling how he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup with resilience, leadership and sportsmanship.
Many of the former captains said they had either played alongside him or competed against him, while others grew up admiring his all-round brilliance, leadership qualities and fierce competitive spirit.
The signatories urged Pakistani authorities to provide him with immediate medical treatment from specialists of his choice and to ensure detention conditions meet internationally recognised humanitarian standards.
Former Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar have also urged proper medical treatment, while former India player Ajay Jadeja called on cricketers to raise their voices.
