Pakistan coach Sarfaraz Ahmed denies the players are aware of the threat to boycott the England tour

Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has denied knowledge of a reported threat from the Pakistan Cricket Board to halt the England tour over a Sky Sports interview featuring the sons of former captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan. Sarfaraz insisted his focus remains firmly on the ongoing second Test at Lord’s.

Controversy erupted during the lunch break on opening day afterwards Sky Sports aired an interview with Kasim and Sulaiman Khanwho talked about their father’s health and treatment in prison. After the second day of play, Sarfaraz said that neither he nor his players were aware of the reported dispute between the PCB and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

“I don’t know anything. I am just concentrating on the match,” said Sarfaraz.

“Are you talking about that conversation? We don’t know about that conversation,” he added.

Asked if there was any possibility of Pakistan refusing to return for the afternoon session on Day 1, Sarfaraz said: “Everything is fine. We were having lunch at that time.”

The PCB is believed to have raised the possibility of canceling the Lord’s Test and abandoning the rest of the three-match series if the interview was broadcast. Sky Sports initially shelved the segment after receiving a complaint, but eventually aired the pre-recorded interview.

PCB-SKY SPORTS LINE OVERLAPS TEST MR

The interview was hosted by former England captain Michael Atherton and featured Imran Khan’s sons discussing their concerns about their father’s health, safety and treatment. They also criticized the British government’s response to his situation.

Imran Khan, 73, has been jailed since 2023 on corruption charges he denies. Before entering politics, he enjoyed a distinguished 21-year international career and captained Pakistan to their only men’s ODI World Cup triumph in 1992. He later served as Pakistan’s Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022.

The political dimension of the dispute was heightened by the fact that PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is also Pakistan’s interior minister.

The England and Wales Cricket Board sought government advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as the disagreement developed. In Pakistan, the interview was not shown by the public television PTV, which used images from the Sky match for its coverage.

Despite the reported threat, Pakistan returned after lunch on the first day and the Test continued without interruption. No further complaint was made from Sky’s point of view on Friday.

The episode inevitably recalled Pakistan’s controversial Test at The Oval in 2006, when the visitors refused to take the field after tea following an umpire’s decision related to alleged ball-tampering.

This match remains the only Test in history to be forfeited, with Pakistan conceding the match.

However, this result was not repeated at Lord’s. England reached the end of Day 2 with a lead of 261 runs at 81/3 in their second innings, so the Test moved forward despite the off-field controversy.

A gathering of cricketers AROUND IMRAN KHAN

There are concerns about Imran Khan’s health and treatment he increasingly received support from prominent figures from across the cricketing world. A group of 21 former international captains, including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Clive Lloyd, recently appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif again, calling for humane treatment, proper medical care and uninterrupted family visits.

The appeal came after Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered a medical assessment of Khan and ordered him to be taken to hospital. The former Pakistan captain has remained in custody since August 2023, with concerns particularly centered on his eyesight and wider health.

Chappell subsequently spoke of the difficulties of Khan’s prolonged isolation, while Australia captain Pat Cummins has become the latest high-profile cricketer to support the challenge so that Imran Khan gets proper care.

“I add my support to the GC and other former international captains. I hope the court orders a medical to allow his course to proceed and that family visits continue. I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves,” Cummins said.

The increasing interference of personalities who shared the cricket field with Khan gave the issue a wider sporting dimension. What started as concerns raised by his family and former teammates has now evolved into a collective appeal by former captains and current internationals for his medical care and access to family.

England are due to return to Pakistan in October for a one-day tri-series involving Sri Lanka. The visit will be their fourth solo tour of Pakistan in four years after a 17-year gap between visits due to security concerns.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

29 Aug 2026 07:49 IST