New Delhi, August 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has backed an appeal led by former Australia cricketer Greg Chappell and signed by 21 former international captains seeking humane treatment, family access and proper medical care for jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister and captain Imran Khan.
The petition, addressed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calls for a comprehensive medical assessment of Khan by a Supreme Court-directed medical board that includes his personal physicians. It also seeks uninterrupted weekly family visits and immediate implementation of any treatment recommended by the medical board.
“Adding my support here to GC and the other former international captains. I hope the court-ordered medical assessment be allowed to run its course, and that family visits continue. I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves,” Cummins wrote on X on Friday.
The appeal has been signed by former captains including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Nasser Hussain.
The signatories expressed concern over Khan’s health, particularly reports of significant vision loss in his right eye. Khan, 73, has been in custody for more than three years.
“Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring a court-ordered medical process is actually completed is not, in our view, a controversial request,” the petition stated.
The appeal comes after controversy over a recent medical examination in which Khan was reportedly assessed by a state-appointed team at a government facility rather than being transferred to a private hospital for examination by his personal doctors, as directed by Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
Chappell had earlier voiced concern about Khan’s condition on The Grade Cricketer podcast, recalling meeting him in Pakistan six years ago and describing him then as physically strong. Chappell said Khan now appeared to be struggling with his health after spending years in isolation.
Chappell also raised concerns about Khan’s mental wellbeing, saying he understood that the former cricketer was largely isolated and had limited access to books.
Khan led Pakistan to its first Men’s ODI World Cup title in 1992 and served as the country’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. He was jailed in August 2023 in connection with multiple cases, which his party and aides have described as politically motivated.
The former international captains described themselves as cricketing colleagues and rivals whose shared connection transcended national borders and political disputes.
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