Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar & 22 Other Legends Write Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif About Imran Khan's Health

A group of 22 former international cricket captains addressed a second letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding Imran Khan's medical treatment. The signatories include India's Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar alongside Australia's Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell.

Authorities recently took Khan to a government hospital in Islamabad for an evaluation, with one of his sisters present for the examination. Doctors declared him 100 per cent medically fit before returning him to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi.

The renewed appeal urges the government to address persistent health concerns and questions the recent medical process.

Captains Question Medical Procedure

The signatories scrutinised the recent hospital visit. They noted that the visit deviated significantly from a specific judicial directive.

"Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to hospital for examination by a medical board that was to include his own personal physicians and his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan."

The group expressed alarm over the brevity and nature of the check-up. "Concerningly, Mr. Khan’s hospital stay lasted only a few hours. He was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the board the court had directed, declared ‘medically fit,’ and returned to Adiala jail before that board could complete its work."

The captains clarified they do not intend to interfere with domestic legal processes. They wrote "not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals [of Khan] who share a bond forged on the cricket field".

History of Health Concerns

A contingent of 14 former international cricketers sent an initial letter expressing concern regarding Khan's wellbeing in February 2026. This followed claims by Khan's family that he had lost roughly 85 per cent of the vision in his right eye.

The government disputed the vision loss allegations. Authorities subsequently indicated his condition improved following medical intervention.

The family also accused the government of violating a court directive to examine Khan at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. The government responded that Shifa doctors did examine him, but security concerns prevented a physical transfer to the private facility because supporters had begun gathering outside.

Government Rejects Torture Claims

Pakistan's Ministry of Information informed AP that it rejects allegations regarding "cruelty, mental torture, punitive solitary confinement and medical neglect".

The ministry stated Khan is a "convicted prisoner" serving court-ordered sentences since 2023. The ministry clarified authorities do not hold him under a government order.

Khan has received over 900 visits from relatives, lawyers, doctors and political representatives, the ministry informed AP. Prison authorities permit weekly meetings with his wife alongside phone and WhatsApp communication with relatives.