14 Captains Appeal for Imran Khan’s Medical Care

The letter directed to the Pakistani authorities cuts across the political line and is purely on humanitarian grounds. It comes with the frightening news of Khan’s physical condition when he is incarcerated at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Signatories make the point that they make the plea in the spirit of sportsmanship and shared humanity and explicitly so, without prejudice to any ongoing legal proceedings against the former Prime Minister.

The Signatories and Their Message

The list of the people who are behind Khan is a roll call of cricketing royalty. It is a collective voice of the key cricketing countries, such as India, Australia, England, West indies and New Zealand. The signatories are:

• India: Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev
• West Indies: Clive Lloyd
• Australia: Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Steve Waugh, Kim Hughes, Belinda Clark (former women’s captain)
• England: Michael Brearley, David Gower, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain
• New Zealand: John Wright (also former India coach)

The fact that these people, most of whom were bitter opponents of Khan on the pitch, have put competition history aside to defend the fundamental human rights of a former teammate is commendable. The letter has a saddening remark that cricket has always been a bond between countries. The history which we have had, as a club, teaches us that the contest ceases when the stumps are bowed–and honor lasts.

They claim that Imran Khan, a personality who had demonstrated the competitive nature of the game during his long, successful career, must now be provided with humane and dignified terms of detention. The captains have addressed the authorities to respect the concept of decency and justice that the sport is trying to maintain.

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Health Crisis in Adiala Jail

The need to take this measure is highlighted by some alarming health news about Khan in the recent past. It is reported that the 73-year-old has lost sight in one of his eyes, the right eye, and is unable to see. The legal team and family of Khan have accused this partial blindness, which apparently left him with just 15 percent vision in that eye, of being a direct consequence of medical neglect and failure to receive timely medical attention to a blood clot.

The captain’s letter particularly requests urgent, sufficient, and continued medical care from qualified specialists of his choice. This demand is in direct response to the claims that Khan has not been given any proper diagnostic testing and special care throughout his incarceration. The signatories state that a man of his caliber and age needs regular checkups, and this does not seem to have been happening to him during the time he has been in prison, which is close to two years.

Moreover, the appeal emphasizes regular visits to the close family. This comes when Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, have been greatly concerned regarding the state of their father. They are living in London and have publicly expressed their anxieties and the inability to visit him because of a visa and a lack of direct contact. The fact that the captains were allowed to write a letter confirms the fundamental right of a prisoner to be in touch with his family, which, by the international human-rights conventions, is a general norm.

A Legacy That Commands Respect

This appeal has been made possible by the fact that Imran Khan is a world-recognized sporting star. Being the leader who led Pakistan to the only ODI World Cup victory in 1992, he inspired both generations of cricketing players and fans. His contemporaries do not only recall him as a ball and bat player but also as a leader and tough guy.

The letter teaches that Imran Khan had been the same in his career, and he wanted the current administration to do the same. It is especially notable that the intervention of the likes of Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar came at a time when the cricketing relationship between India and Pakistan was characterized as being historical, but a respectful one. It is an indicator that the friendship between people who have experienced the game on the highest level is not spoiled by geopolitical tensions.

Legal fairness is also addressed in the appeal that asks to have fair and open access to legal processes without undue delay and impediments. Although the captains take pains not to opine on the merits of the legal cases, they definitely demand that the process be fair.

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