PCB Objects to Sky Sports Interview with Imran Khan's Sons During Lord’s Test
The Pakistan Cricket Board has lodged a formal objection with Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired an 18‑minute interview with Imran Khan’s sons during the Lord’s Test, sparking a rare political storm around one of cricket’s most traditional stages.
The conversation, conducted by former England captain Michael Atherton with Suleiman Khan and Kasim Khan, was shown in the lunch interval on the opening day of the Test at Lord’s. It focused squarely on their father’s health, his treatment in prison and fears for his safety — and pushed a simmering off-field issue into the heart of a marquee international fixture.
PCB threat over players leaving the field
Atherton had recorded the interview at Lord’s on Wednesday, the day before the Test began. Sky Sports then trailed the piece in its build-up coverage, signalling that the full segment would run during the match.
According to Cricinfo, the PCB moved quickly on Thursday. Before lunch on the opening day, officials contacted Sky Sports and objected to the planned broadcast, arguing against airing the interview during play. The board went further: it reportedly warned the broadcaster that Pakistan’s players might refuse to return to the field after the interval if the segment went ahead.
Faced with the prospect of a player protest and a possible delay to the second session at Lord’s, Sky initially held the interview back. The pressure only delayed the inevitable. The channel eventually ran the piece during the lunch break, with Pakistan’s players emerging on time for the resumption of play.
The interview was not seen in Pakistan. Domestic rights for the series are held by state broadcaster PTV, which did not carry the segment.
Sons raise alarm over Imran’s condition
On camera with Atherton, Suleiman and Kasim spoke about their father’s physical condition in custody and the family’s anxiety over his safety. They outlined their efforts to secure what they consider proper medical treatment for the 1992 World Cup-winning captain, who has now been incarcerated for around three years.
Their public stance has hardened in recent weeks. The brothers have amplified calls for greater medical access for Imran, arguing that his health and the quality of care he receives have become a growing concern.
Supreme Court order deepens the dispute
Tension around Imran’s treatment spiked again last week when Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that he be admitted to Shifa Hospital in Islamabad. The ruling looked clear. The follow-up did not.
Instead of being taken to Shifa, Imran was transported to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical check-up and then returned to prison. His sisters and sons have accused the authorities of ignoring the court’s directive and have continued to demand that he be examined by his own doctor.
Those claims, and the apparent gap between the court order and what followed, have drawn former international cricketers into the debate. Several have publicly urged that Imran be granted better medical care.
Former captains rally behind Imran
Atherton’s role in this saga stretches beyond the Lord’s interview. Last week, he joined 20 other former international captains in signing a letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the government to ensure that Imran receives adequate medical attention while in custody.
The signatories spanned eras and continents, including former captains from India, Australia, England, New Zealand and the West Indies. It was not the first such intervention. In February, 14 former international captains had written to the Pakistan government on the same issue. Reports say that earlier appeal went unanswered.
The PCB, for its part, has not publicly commented on its complaint to Sky Sports or on the threat of a potential player protest at Lord’s.
The Pakistan government has consistently rejected accusations that Imran has been mistreated in prison or blocked from seeing his family and legal team. Speaking to the Associated Press last week, officials said Imran had received more than 900 visits from relatives, lawyers and doctors since his imprisonment in August 2023.
Cricket has long been entwined with politics in Pakistan. The sight of Imran Khan’s sons speaking on global television during a Lord’s Test, and the PCB weighing up whether its own players might stay in the dressing room in response, shows just how tightly those worlds remain bound.
