Urdu Report Desk
Seven former Australian cricket captains have called on their government to raise concerns with Pakistani authorities over the alleged treatment of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in prison.
According to Australian news website Code Sports, the letter was led by former Australian captain Greg Chappell and addressed to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
The letter was also signed by former Australian captains Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Ian Chappell, Kim Hughes and Allan Border. Former Australia women’s team captain Belinda Clark also supported the appeal.
The former captains described Imran Khan’s detention as “a matter of basic humanitarian concern.” They said they were writing not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak out on the issue.
Calls for Medical Care
The development follows a letter sent last month by 21 former international cricket captains to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. They had called for Imran Khan to receive treatment from independent medical experts and be provided with adequate facilities in prison.
Earlier in February 2026, 14 former captains from Australia, England, India and other countries had issued a similar appeal.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a spokesperson for the Australian foreign minister said Australia regularly raises Imran Khan’s case during discussions with Pakistan.
The spokesperson said Australian authorities had urged officials to ensure that Imran Khan had access to appropriate medical facilities.
Three Key Demands
The latest letter reportedly calls for the implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Imran Khan’s transfer to a hospital, permission for weekly meetings with his family and immediate treatment based on the findings of an independent medical examination.
The former captains said they were writing as former colleagues who had spent time with Imran Khan on the cricket field. They added that cricket was a sport that brought people together beyond borders and political differences.
The letter stated that the Supreme Court had ordered an examination by an independent medical board. However, according to the former captains, reports suggested that Imran Khan had instead been examined by a team of government doctors and declared fit.
They called for the medical board formed under the court’s directions to be allowed to conduct a complete and independent assessment of Imran Khan’s health, particularly reports concerning the loss of vision in his right eye.
The former captains also demanded that Imran Khan be allowed to meet his family every week without administrative delays or obstacles. They further urged that treatment should begin immediately after his medical examination.
Recent Hospital Transfer
The appeal comes after Imran Khan was moved from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on the night of August 20. Following a medical examination, he was transferred back to Adiala Jail.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered that Imran Khan be moved to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for treatment. The government, however, said security concerns caused by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers around the hospital and along the route prevented the transfer.
The government also claimed that Imran Khan was found to be healthy after being examined at PIMS. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rejected the explanation and filed a contempt petition, alleging that the court’s order had been violated. The government also filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s decision.
Government’s Position
The Pakistani government has not yet issued a response to the latest letter from the former cricketers.
Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar had previously said that Imran Khan was taken to PIMS because of security concerns. In a statement on X, he claimed that doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present during the medical examination.
Atta Tarar said Imran Khan had been provided with medical facilities in the past and would continue to receive treatment whenever necessary.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, who met him during his examination at PIMS, later claimed at a news conference that he had told her he was being kept in solitary confinement and was not receiving treatment despite requesting it.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has long maintained that Imran Khan is being held in solitary confinement at Adiala Jail and is not receiving adequate medical care. The party had approached the Supreme Court on the issue, following which a three-member bench ordered his transfer to Shifa International Hospital for treatment.
The latest letter includes the names of 21 former international captains, but no former Pakistani captain. This has drawn criticism from some circles on social media, as similar criticism emerged after the February appeal. Former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja had subsequently issued statements calling for Imran Khan to be provided with medical care.
