Australian cricketer Pat Cummins has added his voice to growing calls for humane treatment of former Pakistan Prime Minister and cricket legend Imran Khan, urging that court‑ordered medical assessments be allowed to proceed and that family visits continue.
“I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves,” Cummins said, joining other former international captains in expressing concern. Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has also raised serious concerns about Khan’s health and isolation in prison.Speaking on The Grade Cricketer podcast, Chappell said Khan, now 73, no longer appeared the strong, robust figure he had met six years ago. “His right eye apparently has developed a disability… he’s struggling. He’s been in isolation for three years,” Chappell noted.
Chappell, who developed a warm friendship with Khan during their playing days, described how isolation and lack of contact with family were affecting Khan’s mental health. He said Khan was not allowed to read books and spent most of his time in darkness, warning that such conditions were damaging both his mental and physical well‑being.Khan has been incarcerated since 2023, serving a 14‑year sentence on corruption charges he has consistently denied. A video clip recently showed him being moved in a wheelchair during a hospital visit, further fueling concerns about his deteriorating health.Chappell was among 22 former cricketers, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, who wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling for humane treatment, independent medical assessment and proper care for Khan.Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, remains one of the country’s most celebrated all‑rounders, famously leading Pakistan to its first World Cup victory in 1992.
