PCB Lodges Protest Over Sky Sports' Interview With Imran Khan's Sons, Threatened To Walkout At Lord's

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made a formal complaint to Sky Sports after it aired an interview with the sons of former Prime Minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan during the lunch interval of the second Test against England at Lord's.

As per Cricinfo, PCB is considering the option of Pakistan players not taking to the field after the break as a mark of protest. Former England cricketer and Sky broadcaster Michael Atherton did the interview. During the interview, Imran's sons, Suleiman and Kasim Khan, expressed their fears and concerns over their father's health and life, as he has been in prison for three years.

The PCB is understood to have got in touch with Sky ahead of the lunch break to protest and threatened that players would not return to the field post-lunch if the interview was aired. While Sky initially delayed the interview, it ran the 18-minute footage anyway. By the time it ended, Pakistan players were preparing to make it to the field for the post-lunch session at 2:40 PM local time.

Atherton conducted the interview on Wednesday at the Lord's Writers' Room, with the broadcaster running a teaser ahead of the Test match. In Pakistan, the match's broadcaster, PTV, did not show the interview.

Imran's health has been a topic of massive scrutiny in Pakistan over the last few weeks, with his sons demanding proper health care for the legendary cricketer and former PM. Last week, the country's Supreme Court ordered that he be shifted to Islamabad's Shifa Hospital. But he was taken to state-run PIMS and returned to prison just after his check-up. His sisters and sons have made serious allegations about the court order violation, demanding that Imran be allowed to see his personal doctor.

Twenty-two former international cricket captains have written another letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, renewing their appeal for medical treatment of former ODI World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan following recent developments that they say fall short of a Supreme Court directive, according to Cricinfo.

The letter was signed by Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Alastair Cook, Michael Gatting, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Lee Germon, Adam Gilchrist, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Clive Lloyd, Arjuna Ranatunga, Andrew Strauss, Dilip Vengsarkar, Steve Waugh and John Wright.

It was a follow-up to a previous letter 14 captains had written back in February, which received no reply from the Pakistan government.

At the end of day 1, England was 248/9, with a four-wicket haul from Mohammed Abbas and a three-wicket haul from Mohammed Abbas keeping Pakistan in control after they opted to bowl first. Half-centuries from Jamie Smith (61) and Jordan Cox (55) were the saving graces for England's batting.