Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram has urged authorities to ensure “fair treatment” for his former captain and ex-prime minister Imran Khan, who has been in prison since 2023.
Imran, 73, was sentenced to 17 years in prison late last year along with his wife in a corruption case, charges both have denied.
Speaking on the ‘Old Boys, New Balls’ podcast, co-hosted by former England captain Ian Botham, Wasim expressed his support for Imran and thanked former international captains who recently called for humane treatment of the former Pakistan leader, reports Dawn.
“We would like to thank all the captains that recently signed a petition for Imran,” Wasim said.
“I feel for the skipper, I miss him as a friend, I miss him as a mentor, we miss him as a leader. We haven’t seen his picture for three years,” added the left-arm pacer, who was a key member of the Pakistan team that won the 1992 World Cup under Imran’s captaincy.
The comments came after Imran’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, criticised the treatment of their father by Pakistani authorities in an interview with former England captain Michael Atherton, broadcast by Sky Sports during lunch on the first day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s.
The interview reportedly angered the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with some reports suggesting the board considered refusing to allow the national team to return to the field after the interval.
However, Pakistan did not boycott the match, which continued as scheduled. England won the Test by 194 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
In August, Atherton was among 21 former international captains, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, who appealed to Pakistani authorities to treat Imran with “basic human consideration” and ensure humane conditions.
Wasim said he hoped Imran would receive equal treatment compared with other politicians.
“What we want from this government is to give him the fair treatment, like other politicians had before,” he said.
“Fingers are crossed, Inshallah (God willing), the whole nation is behind him and he’ll be out soon.”
