22 Cricket Legends Demand Medical Care for Imran Khan in Letter to PM

Twenty-two international cricket figures, including 21 former national team captains, have sent a joint letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The letter urges the Pakistani government to ensure immediate, unhindered medical treatment and family access for jailed former Prime Minister and 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan.

Organized by former Australian captain Greg Chappell, the initiative brings together legendary rivals and colleagues from Australia, India, England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. Writing explicitly as former sporting peers rather than political actors, the icons expressed deep concern over recent developments that fell short of explicit Supreme Court directions regarding Khan's healthcare.

Parameter / Aspect	Key Information & Demands
Recipient & Initiator	Letter addressed to PM Shehbaz Sharif, initiated by former Australia captain Greg Chappell
Signatories	22 international cricketers (including 21 former captains such as Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Clive Lloyd, and Nasser Hussain)
Medical Context	Alarming reports of Right Eye Vision Loss stemming from Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO) suffered in custody
Triggering Event	Failure to adhere to the Aug 18 Supreme Court ruling, as Imran Khan was briefly taken to PIMS instead of Shifa International Hospital and returned to Adiala Jail without a full board review
Demand 1: Independent Medical Board	Permit the SC-directed multidisciplinary board (including his personal doctors) to complete an independent health assessment
Demand 2: Uninterrupted Visits	Fully honor court-ordered weekly family visits without administrative friction or delays
Demand 3: Immediate Treatment	Provide all recommended treatments without delay following the medical assessment

Why Global Cricket Captains Are Intervening

The letter follows an August 18 directive by the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordering the state to transfer Imran Khan to Islamabad's private Shifa International Hospital for examination by a multidisciplinary board including his personal doctors.

However, authorities instead briefly moved Khan to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a basic check-up before sending him back to Adiala Jail without completing the court-mandated independent assessment.

In their joint statement, the former captains clarified their position:

"We write not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field. We do not seek to adjudicate Pakistan's domestic legal processes, but we believe that ensuring a court-ordered medical process is completed is a basic matter of human decency."

Prominent Signatories of the Global Appeal

The 22 signatories represent decades of international cricket leadership across top Test-playing nations.

Country	Legendary Captains Signing the Appeal
Australia	Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh, Kim Hughes, Alex Blackwell
India	Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar
England	Michael Atherton, Mike Brearley, Nasser Hussain, Andrew Strauss, David Gower, Alastair Cook, Mike Gatting
West Indies	Clive Lloyd
Sri Lanka	Arjuna Ranatunga
New Zealand	John Wright, Lee Germon

The Three Core Requests Submitted to PM Shehbaz Sharif

The letter outlines three specific action items for the Government of Pakistan:

Demands Breakdown	Operational Framework & Key Objective
1. Independent Medical Evaluation	Permit the Supreme Court-ordered multidisciplinary medical board—including Imran Khan's personal physicians—to complete a full and independent health assessment regarding his right-eye vision loss (Central Retinal Vein Occlusion).
2. Restore Family Visits	Enforce court-mandated weekly family visitations consistently without administrative delays, interference, or abrupt cancellations.
3. Undelayed Medical Treatment	Provide immediate, specialized medical care and facilities directly recommended by the independent health board upon completion of their evaluation.

1. Independent Medical Assessment: Allow the Supreme Court-directed medical board—including Imran Khan's personal physicians—to complete a full and independent evaluation, specifically addressing reported vision loss in his right eye.

2. Uninterrupted Family Access: Honor the court order permitting weekly family visits without administrative delays or unexpected cancellations.

3. Immediate Medical Care: Provide any medical treatments or procedures recommended by the evaluation without delay.

Concerns Over Health and Prison Conditions

The 73-year-old former prime minister has been imprisoned since August 2023. Concerns over his well-being intensified following reports of Right Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO), a serious condition affecting vision in his right eye.

This marks the second time in six months that international captains have united to voice concern over Khan's health. By invoking the shared heritage of international cricket, these legends hope to ensure basic healthcare standards and constitutional rights are upheld.