Twenty one former cricket captains from top cricket playing countries – including former Indian captains Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Dilip Vengsarkar, have urged the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaj Sharif to ensure “humane treatment and proper medical care’ to jailed former Prime Minister and former captain of world cup winning team Imran Khan.
The letter has been shared on former PM Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s Facebook page, comes after the 73-year-old was temporarily moved to a hospital last week after a Supreme Court ruling to ensure his health check up.
The cricketer-turned-politician has been in jail since August 2023 after being convicted in a string of cases which he says were politically driven, having been ousted from the power in 2022.
The family members of the former PM have raised serious concerns about the health of the former PM Imran Khan. His lawyers say he has lost his 85 percent vision of his right eye and needs immediate medical intervention.
It’s the second letter from ex-cricketers to the current Pakistani prime minister this year in which the cricketers have called for the government to abide by the court ruling and let the medical board – “including Mr Khan’s own doctors” – complete “a full and independent assessment of his health”, particularly on his right eye.
The signature campaign has been initiated by former Australian captain Greg Chappell and signatories included Sir Alastair Cook, Mike Atherton, former England stars David Gower, Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting Nasser Hussain, as well as Australian batsmen Adam Gilchrist and Greg Chappell.
No Pakistani cricketer has signed the letter.
( With inputs from PTI)
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