Days after former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain joined 19 other ex-skippers to write to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif appealing for medical treatment for Pakistan’s former captain Imran Khan, Atherton has called out the Pakistan government for what he said was an attempt to airbrush Khan almost out of existence. Atherton was joined by Hussain on Sky Sports Cricket when he shared the views.

“Nass (Nasser Hussain) and I were among 21 former captains who sent a second letter yesterday, a humanitarian appeal for Imran Khan to get the requisite level of treatment. But I suppose the basic theme was the way the state has tried to airbrush Imran almost out of existence, which is increasingly difficult to do in a social media age,” Atherton said on Sky Sports Cricket.

On Sunday, 21 former captains, including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar, had written to Sharif about taking steps to improve Khan’s health. This letter had come months after 14 former captains had written to Sharif expressing concern over Khan’s health.


At that time, reports had emerged that Khan was suffering from an eye condition, which his family said had left him almost completely blind in one eye and with allegations of medical neglect in prison.

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Khan, who had led Pakistan to their maiden World Cup triumph in 1992, served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 before he was removed from office and received multiple prison sentences.

“Dear Prime Minister, six months ago, fourteen former international cricket captains wrote to you and the Pakistani government appealing for humane treatment and proper medical care for Imran Khan. We wrote then not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field, one that transcends the borders and disputes that too often divide countries. We write again now, joined by seven further former captains, because of what has reportedly just occurred. Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to a hospital for examination by a medical board that was to include his own personal physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. The Court also reinstated weekly family visits. These were very welcome steps,” Sunday’s letter by the former 21 captains read.

On Monday, former Indian captain Kapil Dev had echoed the same while sharing his views on Khan. “I would like to support my friend, against whom we played and admired his cricketing skill. We don’t know the law of the country, that’s fine. But humanity and simple facilities should be given to a prisoner, whoever he may be. And he was a former prime minister of the country and a top cricketer of the world. We want him (Khan) to get the best treatment, that’s what we are asking for. We are not asking for anything else, we are not asking for any replies, we are requesting,” Dev had told the media during a PGTI event.