Ex-cricket captains pen letter to Australian foreign minister raising concerns about Imran's detention

Seven former Australian cricket captains have penned a letter to the Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, expressing worries over the detention of Pakistan's PTI founder, Imran Khan. The letter, obtained by Cricinfo, was penned by Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor, and Steve Waugh. In their message, they emphasized they were writing not as diplomats or politicians, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak out.

The group clarified that their stance was neutral on the legal or political case against Imran, describing it as a matter for Pakistan to handle. Their primary concern, they wrote, was with Imran's treatment while in detention, calling it "a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics".

According to a spokesperson for Wong, Australia regularly brings up Imran's case during discussions with Pakistan. They affirmed that they continue to urge authorities to provide him with appropriate medical care. In August, 22 international cricketers, including the Chappell brothers, Border, Waugh, Clark, and Hughes, had written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanding Imran's medical treatment align with Supreme Court directives.

However, it emerged that Imran was moved to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on August 18, rather than Shifa International Hospital as previously announced. Imran was sentenced to 17 years in prison in December 2023, alongside his wife, on corruption charges that both deny. The government maintains that Imran's detention is in line with Pakistan Prison Rules, judicial directives, and security measures appropriate for a high-profile prisoner. It has also dismissed allegations of punitive solitary confinement, cruelty, or deprivation.