‘Treated with the dignity anyone deserves’: Pat Cummins backs Imran Khan campaign

Pat Cummins and Imran Khan NEW DELHI: Australia captain Pat Cummins has backed a campaign led by former international cricket captains seeking proper medical care and family access for jailed Pakistan great Imran Khan, saying the former all-rounder should be treated with the “dignity that anyone deserves”.Cummins, one of the leading active cricketers in world cricket, backed the call on Friday after former Australia captain Greg Chappell and 20 other former international captains called for humane treatment and independent medical attention for Khan.“I add my support to GC (Greg Chappell) and other former international captains. I hope the court ordered medical assessment can proceed and family visits continue.”“I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves,” Cummins wrote on X, citing a short clip of Chappell expressing concern for Khan’s well-being.The intervention makes Cummins one of the first active international cricketers to speak out publicly in support of the campaign around Khan’s medical care.

Former captains seek medical care, access to family

Khan, 73, has been in custody in Rawalpindi since 2023 after being convicted on corruption charges. He recently underwent a medical in Islamabad before returning to jail.His sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, expressed fear for their father’s safety and claimed he was trying to kill him. Cummins echoed the former captains’ call for Khan’s family to continue to have access to him.A petition led by Chappell and addressed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was signed by 21 former international captains, including Indian greats Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, as well as Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Nasser Hussain.The signatories called for a comprehensive health assessment by a Supreme Court-directed medical board, which includes Khan’s personal doctors, uninterrupted weekly family visits and immediate implementation of any recommended treatment.“Imran Khan is 73 years old and has now spent more than three years in custody. Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring that a court-ordered medical process is actually completed is not, in our view, a controversial request,” the letter said.The former captains described themselves as “former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field” and claimed the bond “transcends the borders and disputes that too often divide countries”.

Chappell raises concerns about Khan’s health

Chappell has previously spoken about his concerns during an appearance on The Grade Cricketer podcast, recalling meeting Khan in Pakistan six years ago and describing him as “a strong, robust older man”.“That’s not the case anymore. His right eye is obviously diseased … he’s struggling. He’s been in isolation for three years now,” Chappell said.He also described seeing a recent video in which Khan was allegedly taken to a hospital in a wheelchair.“He didn’t look good at all. He didn’t look sturdy. He didn’t look like he could really move a lot,” Chappell said.The former Australia captain also expressed concern over Khan’s reported isolation and its potential impact on his mental and physical health.Khan remains an iconic figure in Pakistan cricket history as he led the country to its first ODI World Cup title in 1992. He later served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.Khan has denied wrongdoing and called the cases against him politically motivated.