ISLAMABAD: Head Coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said on Friday that he and his team did not know about a reported threat given by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the English cricket board to end the Lord’s Test in protest over an interview that Sky Sports conducted of Imran Khan’s sons.
Sky Sports aired an interview with Khan’s sons on Thursday during lunch on day 1 of the ongoing second Test match between Pakistan and England at Lord’s. Khan’s sons Suleiman and Kasim criticized the Pakistani government, raising concerns over the health of their father, who is a former cricketer and ex-prime minister that remains incarcerated in Rawalpindi since 2023.
According to The New York Times, the PCB was unhappy with Sky Sports granting the Khans airtime and sought to have the interview pulled. The PCB is headed by Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s current interior minister, who has been severely criticized by Khan and his opposition political party.
As per various international media reports, PCB officials threatened to stop their players from resuming the game after lunch if Sky Sports proceeded with the interview. However, reports said the PCB’s talks with the ECB succeeded in allaying the Pakistani board’s fears, with Pakistan resuming after the interval despite Sky airing the interview, and playing out the day before bad light stopped play.
“I don’t know anything,” Ahmed told a reporter on Friday when asked about any conversation between the two cricket boards over the Sky interview.
“I’m just focusing on the match.”
When asked whether there were any suggestions that the Pakistan cricket team would not take part in the Test after lunch on the first day, Ahmed said:
“No, we don’t know about the interviews. All are okay, we were having lunch at that time.”
Khan’s health has made headlines in Pakistan and around the world. His family and political party have raised concerns over his health while he remains jailed, accusing the government of neglecting it.
Khan, 73, was diagnosed earlier this year with a retinal condition in his right eye that his lawyers warned could cause permanent vision loss. He was ordered by Pakistan’s top court this month to be shifted to the Shifa International Hospital for treatment.
However, the government took him instead to the state-run PIMS hospital and returned him to jail after a brief check-up citing security reasons. Khan’s party says the act was in violation of the court’s order, an allegation the government rejects.
Khan, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2018 to April 2022, was a professional cricketer who represented his country from the 1970s to 1992 in the sport. He retired from international cricket after leading Pakistan to their only 50-over World Cup trophy in 1992.
In prison since 2023, he has faced scores of legal cases since leaving office, ranging from corruption allegations to charges related to violence by his supporters following his brief arrest in May 2023. Khan denies wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated, while the government denies persecuting him.
Last week, 21 former international cricket captains wrote a letter to Pakistan’s prime minister, urging him to ensure Khan’s gets the court-mandated treatment. The letter also urged Sharif to allow Khan family visits, as his party alleges he is being kept in solitary confinement.
The government denies these allegations and said in a statement issued to the Associated Press last week that Khan has received more than 900 visits from his family, lawyers and doctors since his imprisonment began in August 2023. The government has repeatedly said he is being provided the best possible medical care in prison.
