Seven former Australian cricket captains write to Wong over Khan’s imprisonment
In Australia, seven former national cricket team captains wrote a letter to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, expressing concern over the imprisonment of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan’s PTI party. They called the treatment of any person in custody a matter of basic humanity, Dawn reports, citing Cricinfo.
Authors of the letter
The letter was signed by Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. They said they were speaking not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who believe it is necessary to speak out.
The authors of the letter do not take a position on Khan’s legal or political case, as they consider it a matter for Pakistan to resolve. Their concern relates to the treatment of any people in custody, regardless of their political views.
Australia’s response and Khan’s case
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a spokesperson for Wong said that Australia regularly raises Khan’s case during contacts with Pakistan. According to the spokesperson, the Australian side continues to urge the authorities to ensure Khan receives appropriate medical care.
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The 73-year-old Khan has been in prison since 2023. At the end of 2025, he and his wife were sentenced to 17 years in prison on corruption charges, which they deny.
On August 18, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the government to transfer Khan within two days to the private Shifa International hospital in Islamabad for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical commission. It later became known that he was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
Pakistan’s government stated that Khan’s imprisonment is governed by the country’s prison rules, court orders and security measures for a high-profile inmate. The authorities also rejected claims of punitive solitary confinement, mistreatment or deprivation.
