Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, among former 22 cricket captains wrote letter to Pakistan PM over Imran Khan's health

22 former international cricket captains, including Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, have renewed their appeal to Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif over Imran Khan's medical treatment, questioning his recent check-up and urging authorities to address concerns over his health.

As former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's health deteriorates in prison, several renowned cricketers from across the world have written a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, renewing their appeal for Khan's medical treatment.

Why did cricketers write to Pakistan PM?

According to reports, 22 former international cricket captains, including India's Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev and Australia's Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell, have signed a second letter to Sharif in the past six months.

The latest appeal from the former captains comes days after former Pakistan PM and cricket star Imran Khan was taken to a government hospital in Islamabad for a medical examination, with one of his sisters present for the examination. He was later returned to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi, with doctors declaring him 100 per cent medically fit.

However, the cricket luminaries questioned the procedure followed during Khan's check-up and wrote, "Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to hospital for examination by a medical board that was to include his own personal physicians and his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan."

The letter further read, "Concerningly, Mr. Khan’s hospital stay lasted only a few hours. He was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the board the court had directed, declared ‘medically fit,’ and returned to Adiala jail before that board could complete its work.”

The former captains noted that, by writing the letter, they did not seek to interfere in the country's domestic legal process and had only written to Shehbaz Sharif “not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals (of Khan) who share a bond forged on the cricket field.”

Previous concerns over Khan's health

The letter comes roughly six months after a group of 14 former international cricketers expressed concerns over Khan's health. The letter, sent in February, came after Khan's family claimed that the former PM had lost roughly 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye, a claim disputed by the government. Later, authorities said Khan's condition was improving following medical treatment.

Imran Khan's family alleges violation of court's order

The former cricketer's family had also accused the Sharif-led government of violating a court directive requiring him to undergo a medical examination at Islamabad’s private Shifa International Hospital. The government denied the claim over the weekend, saying doctors from the hospital had examined Khan and that security concerns prevented him from being taken there.

The government, however, claimed that Khan’s supporters had begun assembling outside the private hospital despite a court directive barring them from gathering there to prevent inconvenience to other patients.

Pakistan government rejects allegations

It also rejected allegations levelled by Khan's family that he was being subjected to "cruelty, mental torture, punitive solitary confinement and medical neglect.”

Pakistan's Ministry of Information told AP earlier this month that the former cricketer was not being held under a government order but as a “convicted prisoner” serving sentences handed down by courts following judicial proceedings.

The government also rejected claims that the former prime minister was being kept in solitary confinement or prevented from communicating with his family. The ministry said Khan had received more than 900 visits from relatives, lawyers, doctors, political representatives and other authorised visitors since his imprisonment in 2023. It added that he had been permitted weekly meetings with his wife, along with phone and WhatsApp communication with relatives in Pakistan and overseas.

(with AP inputs)

About the Author

Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.

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