Imran, who has long championed the message of fair play throughout his life, is today demanding his rightful due.

Concern over the health and welfare of Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister and World Cup–winning captain, Imran Khan, has intensified, reverberating far beyond his country’s borders and deep into the international cricketing fraternity. Fourteen former international captains have now written directly to Shehbaz Sharif, urging that Khan be accorded “basic human dignity and proper medical care” while in custody.

The initiative was spearheaded by Greg Chappell, who drafted the letter and rallied fellow leaders of the game to add their names. Among the signatories are figures whose authority within cricket spans generations and continents.

Former Captains Supporting the Appeal

In a column explaining his decision, Chappell drew on the metaphor of a lighthouse keeper who does not merely watch the storm but keeps the light burning for those navigating perilous waters. He wrote that when news reached him of Khan’s deteriorating health, silence was no longer tenable. A single voice, he suggested, might fade into the wind; a chorus of respected captains could not be so easily ignored.

Chappell’s association with Khan stretches back decades. Their rivalry during fiercely contested Test series forged what he describes as deep mutual respect. To him, Khan was never merely a gifted fast bowler or astute tactician; he was a leader of rare conviction who inspired not only a cricket team but a nation. After guiding Pakistan to their historic triumph at the 1992 Cricket World Cup, Khan toured the country with the trophy — not as an act of self-promotion, but to instil belief among ordinary citizens.

Their friendship endured beyond the boundary rope. Chappell recalls a 2004 dinner in Lahore when Khan spoke candidly of entering politics, convinced that Pakistan could achieve far more than it had. He believed in political “cycles” of seven years, predicting that perseverance across three cycles would ultimately carry him to power — a forecast borne out when he assumed office in 2018.

The last time they met was in February 2020 in Islamabad, shortly before the pandemic transformed global politics. What was scheduled as a brief courtesy call extended into an animated discussion. Even then, Khan alluded to mounting pressures and turbulent times ahead.

Since 2023, however, he has been incarcerated and faces 186 legal cases. Reports suggest he is being held in conditions akin to those reserved for death-row prisoners. Of particular alarm are claims that he has nearly lost sight in his right eye and is being subjected to prolonged solitary confinement — a practice international human rights bodies have likened to psychological torture.

The signatories insist their intervention is not a political endorsement but a moral one. They seek transparent legal proceedings, access to independent specialist doctors of Khan’s choosing, and regular family visits — standards consistent with civilised governance.

Cricket, they argue, has long served as a bridge between nations divided by politics. The game’s ethos of fair play transcends scorecards and rivalries. To remain silent while one of its most celebrated figures suffers, they contend, would betray that ethos.

Imran Khan spent a lifetime extolling the virtues of courage, integrity and fairness. Now, those who once contested fiercely against him believe he is owed nothing less than the very principles he championed. Cricket, they conclude, demands no smaller measure of justice.