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Amid Pakistan cricket team's tour of England, Imran Khan emerges as one of the hot topics among cricket fans across the globe. Imran, the former Pakistan cricketer who led the team to a World Cup title, is also a political personality, as he served Pakistan as a Prime Minister.
Recently, a few international media reports suggested that Imran's health was in a declining phase under the observation of the current Pakistan government. Imran is currently in jail, with claims he is slowly pushing towards death. A Sky Sports interview, involving Imran Khan's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, put pressure on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
PCB is not happy with Imran Khan's sons' interview on Sky Sports
PCB was against the interview, a nd it is now reported that the board has instructed all of their players, who are currently in England for a 3-match Test series, not to say anything about Imran. Sky Sports aired the interview, with former England captain Mike Atherton as the host, without the permission of PCB.
It is also reported that, triggered by the interview, PCB, led by Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister of Pakistan, threatened to withdraw the team from the remainder of the ongoing Lord's Test. The controversial interview went on air during the Lunch break of Day 1 in the England vs Pakistan Test match in London.
Pakistan has reportedly asked their players to stay silent on Imran Khan-related questions during their series in England
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was asked at a press conference whether the players had watched the Sky Sports interview with Imran’s sons. Without creating any further controversy, Sarfaraz stated that the player were having their lunch when the interview was on air, so they did not watch the segment.
"No, we don’t know anything about it; we were having lunch," Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said.
While multiple cricketers across the nations wrote a joint letter to PCB, expressing their concerns over Imran's health, Pakistan sensed something different. A source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board told the news agency PTI that, according to the PCB, the interview had a political layer, not only limited to cricket.
Legendary cricketers across the nations raised their concerns over Imran Khan's health
In February, a jointly signed letter by a group of cricketers was sent to the Pakistan cricket board, which reportedly remained unanswered. Later, another letter was sent to the board, expressing concerns over Imran's health. Former India captains Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, and Australian cricket legends Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell were among the notable names who appealed to Pakistan to take care of Imran.
Imran Khan, who captained the Pakistan National Cricket Team to the 1992 World Cup, has been in prison since 2023, after being accused of corruption-related cases.
Through the interview, Imran's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, accused the Government of Pakistan of treating their father in the worst possible way. They claimed that most of the time, the government is keeping Imran Khan in a small cell without providing basis eminities incuding proper medical support.
