Legendary pacer Wasim Akram has joined the cricket community in seeking proper medical treatment for jailed former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Imran, Pakistan's World Cup-winning skipper, has been lodged at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since 2023 over corruption charges. The 73-year-old has faced several health issues in recent times, triggering criticism from his family and several international cricket stars.
“Imran Khan was my mentor. He’s my friend, I miss him a lot. I haven’t spoken to him for three years. It’s so unfortunate, politically, what’s happening with him. The court of law is the court of law. But as far as his health is concerned, there can be no compromise on that,” Akram said in an interview with The Athletic.
During the coverage of the recently held Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan, Imran’s sons -- Kasim and Sulaiman Khan -- interacted with Michael Atherton for Sky Sports, where they alleged a "blatant" attempt to kill their father in prison, claiming his conditions have severely deteriorated under solitary confinement and that he is being denied critical medical care.
According to multiple reports, the Mohsin Naqvi-led Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) objected to mixing politics with cricket coverage and asked Sky Sports not to air the segment during the lunch break, threatening that players might not return for the afternoon session.
However, the interview was broadcast in the UK. It was omitted from the domestic feed by state broadcaster PTV in Pakistan.
Despite the standoff and intervention involving cricket board discussions, the Pakistan team returned to take the field in the post-lunch session, and the Test match continued normally.
Akram also addressed what the situation was like in Pakistan after the interview aired. “There was a bit of uproar here after that. I then read that the Pakistani government came up with how many visits he (Imran) has had, with all the numbers included, with all the phone calls he has had. But, you know, it’s difficult to believe, and hard to know what to believe right now,” he stated.
“I’m OK. As long as I don’t get too into the politics or the legal side of things I can speak my mind, nobody will tell me what to do. I’m talking to you now, I’m speaking my mind and this is what’s on my mind. I don’t want to get involved in politics, I’m not a politician,” he added.
Last month, 21 former international cricket captains—including Indian greats Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar—signed a joint letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanding immediate, adequate medical care and humane treatment for Imran Khan in prison. No former Pakistani cricketers were among the letter's signatories.
Akram noted that while there is an international movement advocating for better conditions for the former Pakistani Prime Minister, he is less certain about the efforts within Pakistan.
“There’s a movement in England and elsewhere (to improve Imran’s conditions) but here (in Pakistan)? I’m not so sure. But… I’m speaking from the heart as someone who is worried about him as a person. Convicted or not convicted. Jail or no jail. We need to safeguard his health. We don’t know what’s happening, the government are saying his health apparently is fine. But I’m worried. I miss him a lot,” Akram remarked.
