A group of 21 former international cricket captains, including Indian legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, have renewed their appeal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for humane treatment and proper medical care for former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan. The latest letter, dated August 23, comes amid growing concerns over Khan’s health and questions surrounding the implementation of a court-directed medical examination. The 73-year-old former cricketer has been in custody for more than three years.
The appeal follows an earlier letter sent around six months ago by 14 former international captains. Seven additional former captains have now joined the group, stressing that their intervention is based on their shared connection with Khan through cricket rather than political considerations.
In their letter, the former captains said their relationship with Khan was forged on the cricket field and transcended political and national boundaries. They reiterated their belief that the former Pakistan captain should receive appropriate medical attention and that court directions concerning his treatment should be followed.
The group specifically referred to a Pakistan Supreme Court order directing that Khan be taken to hospital for examination by a medical board that would include his personal physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. The court had also reinstated weekly family visits.
WATCH – Yuzvendra Chahal Joins Viral 6-7 Trend, Recreates Medhavi Bidhuri’s Celebration in County Championship
However, according to the letter, Khan remained in the hospital for only a few hours before being examined by a state-appointed medical team. He was subsequently declared medically fit and returned to Adiala Jail before the court-directed medical board could complete its assessment. The former captains said Khan’s family and legal team believe the process did not fully comply with the Supreme Court’s directions. They consequently outlined three key requests to the Pakistani government.
First, they called for the court-directed medical board, including Khan’s personal doctors, to conduct a complete and independent assessment of his health. Particular attention, they said, should be given to reports concerning a loss of vision in his right eye. Second, the group urged authorities to ensure that weekly family visits, reinstated by the court, take place without interruptions or administrative delays.
BREAKING NEWS: 22 Former international cricket captains have once again written a letter to Pakistan PM over the treatment for Imran Khan. They first wrote a similar letter in February and this one comes after Pak allegedly didn’t completely comply with SC directions.
They have… pic.twitter.com/9Q6bKLF7qc— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) August 23, 2026
Their third demand was that any treatment recommended by the medical board should be provided without delay. The former captains also made it clear that they were not attempting to interfere in Pakistan’s legal or political affairs. Instead, they described their appeal as a request for the proper implementation of a court-directed medical process.
They highlighted Khan’s age and prolonged detention while calling for the issue to be resolved quickly and with dignity. The letter has brought together several prominent former captains from cricket-playing nations, including England, Australia, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
WATCH – Rishabh Pant Survives Bizarre Close Call As Ball Misses Stumps by Inches In Colombo
England is represented by Michael Atherton, Michael Brearley, Alastair Cook, David Gower, Nasser Hussain, and Andrew Strauss. Australia’s signatories include Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Kim Hughes, and Steve Waugh.
India’s representatives are Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Dilip Vengsarkar, while former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, Sri Lanka’s Arjuna Ranatunga and New Zealand’s John Wright are also among the signatories. The latest appeal marks the second collective intervention by former international captains regarding Imran Khan’s treatment. The group has once again urged authorities to ensure that the medical process is completed and that Khan receives appropriate care.
