New Delhi: Former India captains Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar have joined a group of former international cricket captains in renewing their appeal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for proper medical care and humane treatment for former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan. A total of 22 former international captains, including Australian greats Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell, signed the latest letter to Sharif. It is the second such appeal by former cricket captains within six months. The appeal comes after Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023, was recently taken to a government hospital in Islamabad for a medical examination before being returned to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Doctors subsequently declared him medically fit.
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However, the former cricketers questioned the manner in which the examination was conducted. They said the medical assessment did not follow the Pakistan Supreme Court’s direction that Khan be examined by a medical board that included his personal doctors and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. The cricket legends expressed concern that Khan spent only a few hours in hospital and was examined by a state-appointed medical team before being sent back to prison. They called for the court’s directions to be implemented fully and for an independent and comprehensive assessment of his health.
Kapil Dev said the appeal was motivated by friendship and admiration for Imran Khan’s achievements as a cricketer. He stressed the need to ensure that the former Pakistan captain receives the best possible medical treatment. The signatories maintained that their intervention was based on humanitarian concerns and respect for a fellow sportsman rather than political considerations. The renewed appeal has brought together cricket figures from several countries in support of proper medical care for one of the sport’s most celebrated former captains.
