New Delhi, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad has publicly backed imprisoned former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling for his release and expressing concern over his prolonged incarceration.
Speaking on the Narratives podcast, Miandad said Khan had contributed significantly to Pakistan and urged those involved in the matter to put their differences aside.
“There’s so much respect in the world for Imran. He has given Pakistan so much. We should think about that. We need to bury the hatchet. He’s a former prime minister,” Miandad said.
Expressing concern about Khan’s health and wellbeing in prison, Miandad said Pakistanis could regret it deeply if something happened to the former prime minister while in custody.
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“Just release him; what difference does it make to you?” he said, adding that he continued to think about Khan and believed he did not deserve his current situation.
Miandad became emotional while speaking about his former teammate and said he hoped the situation would be resolved. He also recalled their close relationship, rejecting suggestions that the two had been involved in a bitter rivalry.
“There was no rivalry between me and Imran. There was no fight between us. I’ve never complained that Imran wronged me in any way,” Miandad said.
The two were key members of Pakistan’s team during the 1980s and early 1990s and helped the country reach a successful period in international cricket, culminating in its 1992 ODI World Cup triumph. They also played county cricket together and, according to Miandad, spent more than half the year together either on county assignments or with Pakistan.
Miandad’s comments come amid growing calls from prominent international cricketers for Khan to receive proper medical care and access to his family.
Former Australia captain Greg Chappell recently led a petition addressed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for family access and independent medical examinations for Khan. The petition has also been signed by former Indian captains Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar.
Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins also expressed support for the appeal on X, saying he hoped a court-ordered medical assessment would proceed and family visits would continue, while stressing that Khan should be treated with dignity.
The petition has been signed by 21 former international captains, including Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Nasser Hussain. It raises concerns over Khan’s health, including reports of significant vision loss in his right eye, after more than three years in custody.
The signatories have called for a comprehensive medical evaluation by a Supreme Court-directed medical board that includes Khan’s personal physicians, uninterrupted weekly family visits and immediate implementation of medically recommended treatment.
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