In Jail, Imran Khan Is Losing Vision: Why Clive Lloyd, Border, Kapil Dev And Gavaskar Had To Remind Pakistan What Decency Means

Islamabad: At least 21 former international cricket captains have come together to issue a fresh plea to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, asking his government to ensure humane treatment and proper medical care for former Pakistani skipper and PM Imran Khan. The remarkable show of solidarity by cricket legends across the globe has clearly embarrassed the Shehbaz government in Islamabad.

The written appeal was sent on August 23 amid mounting worries about the 73-year-old's health, following a court-directed medical examination that ended up being a farce. Imran Khan, who has now spent over three years in custody, is at the centre of a second such letter. Earlier, 6 months ago, 14 former captains had written a similar appeal, and now 7 more big names have joined, presumably because the first polite request was treated with the usual bureaucratic disdain.

In their letter to Shehbaz, the former greats were at pains to point out that they were intervening not as politicians but as old colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field, a bond that apparently transcends the borders and petty political insecurities that too often drive decision-making in Islamabad.

"Dear Prime Minister, six months ago, fourteen former international cricket captains wrote to you and the Pakistani government appealing for humane treatment and proper medical care for Imran Khan. We wrote then not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field, one that transcends the borders and disputes that too often divide countries. We write again now, joined by seven further former captains, because of what has reportedly just occurred," they wrote.

Supreme Court Order Given A Quick Bypass

The group specifically referred to an order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which had directed that Khan be shifted to a hospital for examination by a medical board that was to include his personal physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. Notably, the court had also been decent enough to reinstate weekly family visits of the former Pakistan skipper.

"Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for examination by a medical board that was to include his own personal physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. The Court also reinstated weekly family visits. These were very welcome steps," the captains noted.

However, the subsequent events showcased the celebrated efficiency of those in power, including both Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir. "Concerningly, Mr Khan's hospital stay lasted only a few hours. He was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the board the Court had directed, declared 'medically fit,' and returned to Adiala Jail before that board could complete its work. His family and legal team say this falls short of what the court ordered," the letter added.

In just a few hours, a government-approved medical clearance was issued, and Imran Khan was sent back to prison. The move appeared to be a procedural formality that sidestepped the intent of the court's order, leaving even impartial observers to question whether the Shehbaz Sharif government and the military establishment under Asim Munir are so unsettled by Imran Khan's political influence that even a routine eye examination is seen as a risk.

3 Simple Requests That Feel Too Difficult For Islamabad

The former captains laid out 3 demands that in any functional democracy would be considered basic and human, but in the present context in Pakistan sound almost revolutionary and extraordinary.

As per reports, first, they called for the medical board directed by the Supreme Court to be allowed to conduct a complete and independent assessment of Imran Khan's health, including concerns over reported loss of vision in his right eye. Second, they urged the government to honour the weekly family visits reinstated by the court without interruption or administrative delays. Third, they called for any treatment recommended following the medical assessment to be provided to Khan without delay.

Stressing that they had no intention to meddle in Pakistan's domestic legal or political affairs, the cricket legends wrote, "We're not asking Pakistan for anything unusual, just that a court order most countries would take for granted is actually carried out. We do not presume to adjudicate Pakistan's domestic legal processes. That is not our place, and it was not the spirit in which we wrote in February."

They reiterated, "But we do ask, again, respectfully: 1. That the medical board directed by the Supreme Court, including Mr Khan's own doctors, be permitted to complete a full and independent assessment of his health, particularly the reported loss of vision in his right eye. 2. That the weekly family visits reinstated by the Court be honoured without interruption or administrative delay. 3. That whatever the outcome of that medical assessment, the treatment recommended by it be provided without delay. Imran Khan is 73 years old and has now spent more than three years in custody."

Cricket's Greats Speak For Decency

The legends also wrote, "Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring a court-ordered medical process is actually completed is not, in our view, a controversial request. It is one we believe every nation that plays this game would recognise as fair."

"We hope this matter can be resolved expeditiously and with the dignity Mr Imran Khan deserves. Yours in cricket," they concluded.

The signatories included some of the most respected names to have ever played the game, including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar. England is represented by Michael Atherton, Michael Brearley, Sir Alastair Cook, David Gower, Nasser Hussain and Sir Andrew Strauss. Australia's signatories include Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Kim Hughes and Stephen Waugh. Former West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd, former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga and former New Zealand captain John Wright are also among the signatories.

The full list comprises Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Sir Alastair Cook, Sunil Gavaskar, Lee Germon, Adam Gilchrist, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Sir Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev, Nikhanj Deshamanya, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sir Andrew Strauss, Dilip Vengsarkar, Stephen Waugh and John Wright.