Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev said a group of former international captains wrote to Pakistan's prime minister regarding jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The appeal highlights a rare instance of high-profile sports figures crossing geopolitical lines to address the health of a political prisoner on humanitarian grounds.
Speaking in New Delhi on Monday [3], Dev said the group is supporting a friend they played with and admired for his cricketing skill. The captains are urging the Pakistani government to ensure Khan receives proper medical facilities and treatment while incarcerated [1, 2].
Between 21 [1] and 22 [2] former international cricket captains signed the joint letter. The group includes Dev and Sunil Gavaskar [2].
Dev said the appeal is based on humanitarian concerns rather than political ones. He acknowledged that the signatories do not have knowledge of Pakistani law but believe in the necessity of basic medical care [1, 2].
"...I like to support our friend whom we played with and admired for his cricketing skill," Dev said [4].
The letter comes amid reports that Khan's health has been deteriorating during his time in prison [2]. Dev said the push for better treatment is a gesture of friendship and human decency, a sentiment shared by the other captains involved in the correspondence [1, 2].
“The captains are urging the Pakistani government to ensure Khan receives proper medical facilities.”
This collective action by former sports leaders leverages the shared history of cricket to apply soft pressure on the Pakistani government. By framing the request as a humanitarian plea between former teammates rather than a political demand, the captains attempt to bypass the diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan to secure basic healthcare for a former head of state.
