Former Australian Captains Call for Urgent Medical Care for Imran Khan
SYDNEY: Seven former Australian cricket captains have written to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, expressing humanitarian concerns over the continued detention and medical treatment of former Pakistan prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The letter was signed by Australian cricket legends Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.
The former captains said they were making the appeal “not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak up”.
They clarified that they were not taking any position on the legal or political proceedings against Imran Khan, saying those matters were for Pakistan to deal with. Their concern, they said, was the treatment of people in detention, which they described as “a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics”.
Imran Khan, 73, has remained in prison since August 2023 following convictions in several cases.
On August 18, a three-member Supreme Court bench directed Adiala Jail authorities to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital within two days for medical assessment and treatment.
However, Khan was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
In their latest appeal, the former Australian captains made three specific requests.
They called for the medical board directed by the Supreme Court, including Khan’s own doctors, to be allowed to complete a full and independent assessment of his health, particularly amid reports concerning loss of vision in his right eye.
They also urged authorities to ensure that weekly family visits reinstated by the court take place without interruption or administrative delays.
The former captains further called for any treatment recommended following the medical assessment to be provided without delay.
“Imran Khan is 73 years old and has now spent more than three years in custody,” they said, adding that regardless of the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, ensuring that a court-ordered medical process is completed was “not, in our view, a controversial request”.
The latest appeal follows a similar letter in August, when 22 former international cricket captains from around the world wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking improved medical treatment for Khan.
The former cricketers had called for an independent medical board, including Khan’s personal doctors, to assess his health, particularly reports of vision loss in his right eye. They also urged authorities to honour weekly family visits and ensure that recommended medical treatment was provided promptly.
An earlier letter signed by 14 former international cricket captains was also sent in February.
Former Pakistan captains Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Moin Khan have separately expressed concerns over Imran Khan’s health, while current Australia captain Pat Cummins has also supported calls for appropriate medical care.