Pakistan's cricket board formally protested Sky's broadcast of an interview with Imran Khan's sons discussing their father's deteriorating health while imprisoned, with reports suggesting the PCB threatened player action if the segment aired.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has filed a formal complaint with broadcaster Sky following the airing of an interview featuring the sons of former Pakistan captain Imran Khan during the opening day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's. The segment, conducted by ex-England captain Michael Atherton, was broadcast on Day 1 of the match and prompted the PCB's objection, reportedly because it contained criticism of Pakistan's government.
According to reports, the PCB threatened that their players would not take the field after the lunch break if the interview proceeded. Sky subsequently released an 18-minute clip, though Pakistan's squad was already en route to the ground for the second session by that time. The England and Wales Cricket Board has been informed of the PCB's concerns, though neither Sky nor the ECB have issued formal responses to the complaint.
During the interview, Imran Khan's sons Sulaiman and Qasim expressed serious concerns about their father's health, which they said has significantly deteriorated during his imprisonment. Qasim Khan told Atherton that when they recently visited their father, he wore an eye patch and appeared visibly stressed—a condition the family found troubling given his typically composed demeanor. Earlier this year, 14 former international cricket captains, including Atherton, signed a letter to Pakistan's government expressing concern over Khan's jail conditions.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since May 2023 following his removal as Prime Minister in 2022. Medical reports from January 2026 indicated he retained only 15 percent vision in his right eye, and he recently underwent examination at a hospital in Islamabad.
