Imran Khan Sons’ Interview Row Leaves Pakistan Coach Sarfaraz In The Dark Amid PCB Threat

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly threatened to withdraw its team from the ongoing England tour after objecting to Sky Sports broadcasting an interview with the sons of former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan during the second Test at Lord’s.

The interview with Imran’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, was conducted by former England captain Michael Atherton and aired during the lunch interval on the opening day of the Test. The PCB reportedly lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports and warned that Pakistan’s players could refuse to return to the field if the interview was broadcast.

The players, however, did return after the lunch break and continued with the Test.

Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said he was unaware of the controversy when he spoke to the media after the end of the second day’s play on Friday.

“I don’t know anything. I’m just focusing on the match,” Sarfaraz said when asked about the interview.

When questioned specifically about the Sky Sports segment, he added: “You’re talking about the interview? We don’t know about the interview.”

Sarfaraz was also asked whether there had been a possibility of Pakistan’s players refusing to take the field after the interview was aired.

“All are OK. We were having lunch at that time,” he said.

The reported dispute comes amid growing concerns over Imran Khan’s health and his continued imprisonment in Pakistan. The former cricketer has been behind bars since his arrest in 2023 and is facing multiple legal cases, including corruption charges that he denies.

Imran’s sons have repeatedly raised concerns about their father’s wellbeing and his treatment in prison. They have expressed fears over his health and accused the authorities of “blatantly trying to kill him”.

The Sky Sports interview was reportedly delayed before eventually being aired during the lunch interval at Lord’s. Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV, which is broadcasting England’s tour of Pakistan, did not show the interview.

The PCB’s reported intervention has also drawn attention because its chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, is simultaneously Pakistan’s Interior Minister. The board’s objection brought a politically sensitive issue involving one of Pakistan’s most prominent public figures into the middle of an ongoing international cricket series.

Imran remains one of the most celebrated cricketers in Pakistan’s history. As captain, he led the country to its maiden and only ODI World Cup title in 1992. He retired from international cricket before entering politics and became Pakistan’s Prime Minister in 2018. His government was removed from office in 2022.

The latest controversy follows an appeal from former international captains over Imran’s health. Reports earlier this week claimed that 22 former international captains had written to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking a “full and independent assessment” of Imran’s condition.

The letter reportedly raised particular concern over claims that the former Pakistan captain had lost vision in his right eye.