Former captains renew appeal to Pakistan PM over Imran Khan's health

A group of 21 former international cricket captains has written to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the health and medical care of Imran Khan. The appeal marks the second such letter from former captains in 2026, following an earlier open letter sent in February that was signed by 14 captains. Khan, aged 73, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on corruption charges which he and his party deny.

Greg Chappell initiated the latest appeal, which includes signatories, namely Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Alastair Cook, Michael Gatting, Sunil Gavaskar, Lee Germon, Adam Gilchrist, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev Nikhanj, Arjuna Ranatunga, Andrew Strauss, Dilip Vengsarkar, Stephen Waugh and John Wright.

The letter was addressed to the Prime Minister following a Supreme Court order for a medical board examination of Khan. Chappell, speaking on behalf of the group of former captains, expressed their position clearly.

"We're not asking Pakistan for anything unusual — just that a court order most countries would take for granted is actually carried out," Chappell was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

What the letter requests

The letter contains three specific requests directed at the Pakistani authorities. The former captains have asked that a court-directed medical board complete an independent assessment of Khan's condition, that weekly family visits be restored, and that recommended treatment be provided without delay.

These requests follow concerns about Khan's medical care during his time in custody. The signatories emphasised they were acting not in a political capacity but as former colleagues bound by their shared cricket heritage.

"Not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field," the captains have written in a letter.

Khan's medical situation and custody

On August 20, 2026, Khan was taken to hospital in Islamabad but returned to Adiala Jail a few hours later after being declared "medically fit" by authorities. He was moved to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences instead of Shifa International Hospital.

Reports from earlier in the year indicated that Khan had lost approximately 85 per cent of vision in his right eye due to medical neglect while in custody. The Supreme Court order for medical examination came amid growing international concern about his well-being.