Seven Former Australia Captains Appeal to Penny Wong Over Imran Khan’s Detention

Seven former Australia cricket captains have collaborated to express humanitarian concerns regarding the detention and reported health status of former Pakistan captain and prime minister Imran Khan

Fellow Australian national team captains Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell and Belinda Clark as well as former skippers Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh have written to Australia’s Foreign Minister and Senate leader Penny Wong urging action regarding Khan’s treatment in detention in Pakistan.

The former captains emphasized their intervention should not be seen as political. In their letter Rhani and Lloyd state clearly that they wrote not as former leaders for the game of cricket but simply as those who were worried about the welfare of a human being in custody. They also said they were not engaging in the legal or political processes involving Khan, calling those issues internal problems for Pakistan.

The appeal comes against continuing fears for Khan’s health. His family members—including sons and sisters—have publicly complained about what they say is insufficient medical treatment, limitations on family communications and restricted access to legal representation.

The letter from Australia’s captains form part of a broader international effort by past cricketers for the former Pakistan captain to have access to health care and other protections. A similar letter was sent by 22 former international captains to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on August 23.

The previous letter had sought an independent medical examination by a board that would include Khan’s own doctors. Particular alarm was sounded when reports said he had lost sight in his right eye. In addition, call for weekly families meeting to be done without administrative delay, which were reinstituted through a Supreme Court directive in 2013 by the former captains.

They also asked that anything suggested after the assessment should be carried out without delay.

The latest intervention is the most serious yet amid increasing dissatisfaction among cricket figures over Khan’s position. Worry in Pakistan over the appropriateness of treatment had also came from former stars Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Moin Khan while current Australia captain Pat Cummins backed calls for appropriate medical care.

In August, Greg Chappell separately requested a meeting with Foreign Minister Wong to discuss the matter on behalf of the former captains. But he has not yet received a response of the letter, according to the letter.

In its latest plea, the former cricket leaders noted how their earlier position remains valid as it was only being used to publicise humane aspects of one of Pakistan cricket’s most iconic former captains.