A stellar assembly of 14 ex-cricket captains, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, has fired off a compelling missive to Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif. Under Greg Chappell’s guidance, they’ve spotlighted the alarming health crisis facing Imran Khan in jail, alongside his overall treatment.
The roster reads like a cricket hall of fame: Ian Chappell, Allan Border, Mike Brearley, David Gower, Belinda Clark, and more. They celebrate Khan’s 1992 World Cup masterstroke, a testament to his tactical brilliance that galvanized the cricketing world.
From pitch to politics, Khan’s journey—from World Cup hero to elected leader—earns bipartisan praise. Yet, reports of his vision loss in custody over 2.5 years paint a worrying picture, clashing with cricket’s ethos of equity and esteem.
‘Khan merits dignified, humane handling,’ the letter insists. It urges Sharif to arrange expert eye care without delay, uphold international prison norms including family meetings, and expedite transparent trials.
Drawing on cricket’s role as a diplomatic bridge, they argue: Matches end, but mutual regard lasts. Imran lived this creed. Pakistani officials must now embody it, this appeal stresses—not as legal overreach, but as a cricketers’ salute to shared values and basic rights.
In an era of polarized politics, this cross-border harmony from cricket’s elite serves as a beacon, pressing for compassion amid controversy.