‘I fear he’ll die in jail’: Seven former Australia captains make humanitarian plea for Imran Khan

Seven former Australian cricket captains have urged Foreign Minister Penny Wong to raise concerns with the Pakistani government over the treatment of former prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan, citing humanitarian concerns.

Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh signed a letter sent to Wong, according to Australian media reports.

Chappell, who played 87 Test matches for Australia, said he was seeking a meeting with Wong to discuss Khan’s situation.

In the letter, the former captains said they were not taking a position on the legal or political cases against Khan, describing those matters as Pakistan’s internal affairs.

“But the treatment of any person in detention is a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics,” they said, urging the Australian government to raise the matter with Pakistani authorities.

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since 2023 after facing a series of legal cases. He denies the allegations against him, while his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has described the cases as politically motivated.

Chappell said he was concerned about Khan’s health and expressed fears that he could die in prison. He described the matter as humanitarian rather than political or legal.

The appeal follows an earlier letter signed by 14 former international cricket captains from five Test-playing nations calling for better prison treatment for Khan.

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has also previously called for Khan to receive appropriate medical care.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected allegations of mistreatment, saying Khan remains entitled to legal remedies and is provided with appropriate facilities in prison.