Former Australia cricket captains seek help for Imran Khan

SYDNEY (Agencies): As many as seven former Australia cricket captains have written to Foreign Minister Penny Wong to raise humanitarian concerns over the detention of former Pakistan prime minister and captain Imran Khan. Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh said they were writing not as political figures but as former captains concerned about the treatment of a fellow cricketer in detention. The group said it took no position on the legal or political case against Khan, which it described as a matter for Pakistan, but urged attention to his health, medical care and access to family, according to a report on Cricinfo.  “Our concern is with the treatment of any person in detention,” the former captains said, calling it a matter of basic humanity regardless of political views. The appeal follows growing concern among former international cricketers over Khan’s health and treatment in detention. In August, 22 former international captains wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking improved medical care for Khan and the implementation of measures ordered by Pakistan’s Supreme Court.

Those requests included an independent medical assessment involving Khan’s own doctors, restoration of weekly family visits and prompt treatment based on the findings of the medical board. Former Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad and Moin Khan have also voiced concerns, while current Australia captain Pat Cummins has backed calls for Khan to receive appropriate medical care. Greg Chappell requested a meeting with Wong last month to discuss the issue but has not received a response, according to the letter. Khan, 73, has been in prison since 2023 following a series of legal cases. His supporters say his detention is politically motivated, while Pakistani authorities have rejected such claims. The former all-rounder led Pakistan to its only Cricket World Cup title in 1992 before entering politics and becoming prime minister in 2018.