Former cricket captains including Pat Cummins and Greg Chappell have joined a growing international movement urging improved conditions for ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023.
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins has publicly supported calls for the humane treatment of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who remains imprisoned on corruption charges he denies. Cummins stated that he hopes Khan receives the dignity befitting any person and that court-ordered medical assessments are permitted to proceed alongside continued family visits.
Greg Chappell, former Australian captain who developed a friendship with Khan during their playing careers, has raised particular concerns about Khan's health and confinement. Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, Chappell described observing visible deterioration in the 73-year-old, including reported vision problems in his right eye. He characterised Khan's conditions as severely restrictive, noting restrictions on reading materials and extended periods in darkness, which he warned were damaging both mental and physical wellbeing.
Khan has been serving a 14-year sentence since 2023 following conviction on corruption charges, which he has consistently disputed. Recent footage showing him in a wheelchair during a hospital visit has intensified international concerns about his health status. A group of 22 former international cricketers, including India's Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, previously wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting humane treatment, independent medical evaluation and appropriate care provisions.
Khan served as Pakistan's 22nd Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 and remains celebrated as a cricket legend, having captained Pakistan to its first World Cup victory in 1992.
