The cricket fraternity has finally begun to rally around Imran Khan, the former Pakistan Prime Minister and national team captain. Last week, several reports entered the public domain highlighting the deteriorating health of the 1992 World Cup winner. It has also emerged that the legendary all-rounder has lost 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye, while his supporters – including members of his family – claim they are being denied permission to visit him in jail.
On Tuesday, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who shared a close friendship with Imran in the past, spoke out in support of the former Pakistan skipper, saying it is upsetting to see his condition and that “it’s terrible” how the legendary cricketer is being treated. Gavaskar’s remarks came shortly after 14 former international captains – including the ex-India skipper – wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanding proper medical and legal facilities for the legendary former all-rounder.
“It’s terrible what they are doing to him. We have been friends since he was trying to qualify as an overseas player for Worcestershire and not just rivals on the field,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Gavaskar as saying.
Gavaskar and Imran’s friendship goes back a long way. In 2018, when the only World Cup-winning Pakistan captain was elected Prime Minister, Gavaskar revealed that the all-rounder had once played a crucial role in extending his career. Back in 1986, Gavaskar had informed Imran of his intention to retire soon; however, Khan persuaded the batter to postpone his decision and play the series against Pakistan.
“You can’t retire now. Pakistan is coming to India next year, and I want to beat India in India. If you aren’t part of that team, it won’t be the same. Come on, let’s have one last tilt against each other,” Imran Khan replied when I told him I planned to retire at the end of the India tour of England,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Times of India in 2018.
Gavaskar and Imran have known each other since 1971. Their friendship began when Imran was attempting to break into the Worcestershire county side. The two formed a bond at a time when political relations between India and Pakistan were strained. Through the late 1970s and 1980s, their on-field duels came to define an era.
Over the years, Gavaskar has often spoken admiringly of Imran’s charm and intelligence, while Imran has publicly praised Gavaskar’s technical brilliance and mental strength during his playing days. Their friendship deepened further after retirement, when they worked together on the broadcast team in the early 2000s.
What has happened to Imran Khan?
Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, have been imprisoned since August 2023, following his ouster as Prime Minister in 2022. Over the past three years, he has faced multiple corruption charges and was sentenced to 31 years in prison after the most recent verdict in December. His supporters allege that the former Pakistan Prime Minister is being denied basic rights in jail, with even family members reportedly barred from visiting him.
“Sometimes the electricity is cut off. Sometimes he won’t be allowed to read materials. I hated him being in politics when I was younger. I was constantly worried because I would hear stories that his life was in danger. There have been two incidents already where he almost died: in 2013, he fell off a 20-foot platform during a rally in Lahore, and three years ago, he was shot,” his son Sulaiman said in December, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.
Last week, former Pakistan cricketers such as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi took to X (formerly Twitter) to urge authorities to ensure proper medical care for Imran in jail. However, no Pakistani cricketer signed the petition drafted by Greg Chappell. The letter addressed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been co-signed by former captains from five international teams – India, England, New Zealand, Australia and the West Indies.
