What did Imran Khan’s sons say in the Sky Sports interview that ticked off Pakistan?

The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly threatened to pull its players off the field at Lord’s if Sky Sports airs an interview with Imran Khan’s sons. But what exactly in the interview has PCB so worried?

The 18-minute interview, conducted by former England captain and broadcaster Mike Atherton, was not your usual cricket interview. The interview, filmed at the Lord’s Pavilion, featured Imran Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, speaking at length about the condition of their father, the former Pakistan captain and prime minister, who has been in jail since August 2023.

According to Cricinfo, the PCB contacted Sky Sports before the lunch break to protest the segment and threatened to keep the Pakistani players from returning to the field if it was broadcast. Sky subsequently shelved the interview before finally airing it during lunchtime. By the time the interview ended, the Pakistani players were preparing to return for the second match at 2:40 p.m.

PCB’s objection was understood to focus on the political nature of the conversation. But when we heard what the two brothers had to say, there was one particularly explosive part that may explain why the record was so desperate to keep it from reaching audiences.

Pakistan threatened to boycott the Lord’s Test after Sky Sports broadcast an interview with Imran Khan’s two sons that was actually recorded in Lord’s Long Room the day before the Test. The PCB wanted SKY not to broadcast the interview during the lunch break or they would not accept it pic.twitter.com/Z6CGuC6I75— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) August 27, 2026

“They’re obviously TRYING TO KILL HIM”

Asked why he and his brother had become more vocal about their father’s incarceration, Sulaiman explained that the family initially believed Imran’s time in prison would be relatively short. This has changed over the years.

Sulaiman spoke of assassination attempts on his father, including an attack in 2022 in which Imran was shot in the leg, before describing a growing sense of helplessness in the family. And then came the most serious accusation of the entire interview.

“It’s very, very clear what they’re doing, that is, they’re blatantly trying to kill him there,” Sulaiman said. “They just want to keep him there as long as possible and hopefully just silence him.

It was an extraordinary allegation, made on an international broadcast station, aimed squarely at the Pakistani authorities. There was more.

The brothers spoke of what they described as deteriorating conditions at Adiala prison, saying their father was kept in isolation for more than 23 hours a day. They also raised concerns about his eyesight, with Sulaiman claiming that Imran had lost about 80 percent of his vision in one eye.

They said Imran had been complaining about the problem for months but had not received what they believed was adequate treatment. Qasim Khan. (Photo by Reuters)

WHY THE INTERVIEW WOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT PCB

It is not clear whether this particular allegation was the reason behind the PCB threat. The board apparently objected to the interview as a whole and to the inclusion of political topics in the live coverage of the test. There is no confirmation that the PCB saw the full interview before deciding to complain to Sky Sports.

But if the council was aware of what the brothers were about to say, it would be difficult to ignore the allegation that Pakistan was “blatantly trying to kill” Imran Khan.

The interview was not only about Imran’s political career. His sons spoke of his current treatment, health condition, isolation and inability to visit him despite court orders that they said allowed weekly family visits.

They also questioned why their father was not examined by independent doctors. Last week, they said, the Supreme Court ordered that Imran be taken to a private hospital for medical evaluation and treatment. According to Sulaiman, this did not happen.

Instead, Imran was taken to a government health facility, examined by government-selected doctors for about an hour, and then returned to prison.

“He still hasn’t been properly examined by an unbiased, independent doctor or doctor,” Sulaiman said. “And it makes us wonder what they’re hiding? Why are they so afraid to have an unbiased, neutral doctor report him?”

‘WE JUST WANT TO SEE HIM’

The brothers also revealed that they had not seen their father since November 2022, shortly after the assassination attempt on him. Sulaiman said they last spoke to him in March, about five or six months before talking to the Lord, and that it had been “radio silence” since then.

According to the brothers, other family members in Pakistan had also been unable to see Imran for 10 months until last week, despite court orders allowing weekly family visits.

The sons themselves said they repeatedly tried to get visas to travel to Pakistan, but claimed their applications were suspended or rejected on technical grounds. They insisted that their priority was simply to see their father.

“I don’t think there is… Well, there’s probably a small risk of us being arrested,” Sulaiman said when Atherton asked if he would be comfortable traveling to Pakistan. “But ultimately we want to see him at this point, even if it’s not to make any noise and just minimal publicity.

DIRECT ATTACK ON PAKISTANI FACILITIES

The brothers also questioned the lack of response from the British government and explained why they believe Pakistani cricketers have been reluctant to speak publicly about their father.

Sulaiman acknowledged that many former Pakistani cricketers respected Imran, but said they found it difficult to voice their opinion because of what he described as a military dictatorship and suppression of dissent.

There was also a deeply personal moment when Atherton asked if the brothers ever regretted their father choosing politics rather than taking an easier route after his cricket career.

Sulaiman said no. He spoke of his father’s desire to fight corruption, lift people out of poverty and improve Pakistan, describing his ambition and drive as something he admired more than anything else.

PAKISTAN AND UK GOVERNMENTS RESPOND

The Pakistani government has denied allegations of medical maltreatment or neglect.

As reported by the Associated Press, the government said Imran is being held as a convicted prisoner in a seven-cell facility with exercise equipment, access to home-cooked food, books and television. She also said he had received more than 900 visits since his incarceration in 2023 and was returned to prison after doctors found him medically fit.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the Pakistani trials were a domestic matter in which the UK did not interfere. She said UK ministers regularly alert Pakistan to the need to uphold its constitution and international human rights obligations, including in relation to Imran Khan.

The reported PCB threat ultimately came to naught. Pakistan returned to the field after lunch.

But the interview has already accomplished what the council most wanted to resist: it put Imran Khan, his health and his treatment in prison back in front of an international audience.

WHAT ELSE DID IMRAN KHAN’S SONS SAY?

Sulaiman and Kasim explained why they did not travel to Pakistan to see their father. They said they had repeatedly applied for visas, but their applications had been suspended or rejected on technicalities, leaving them convinced the authorities did not want them in the country.

Despite the possibility of arrest, Sulaiman said the brothers would be willing to travel to Pakistan if granted visas. He made it clear that their priority would simply be to see their father rather than making a political statement.

IMRAN’S LIFE INSIDE PRISON

The brothers looked into their conversations with Imran and said their phone calls were often interrupted randomly and could last anywhere from six to 20 minutes.

Despite the circumstances, Sulaiman described his father as optimistic and said Imran was more interested in asking questions about his sons and family than discussing his own problems. According to Sulaiman, the former Pakistan captain would be quick to dismiss questions about his condition and instead use the limited time to offer advice and life lessons to his sons.

The brothers also spoke about the conditions in which Imran is being held. Sulaiman said his father lived in a small cell, was not given new books and had to endure high temperatures in the summer without proper air conditioning.

They asked about SILENCE OF PAKISTANI CRICKETERS

The brothers also addressed the lack of public support for their father from former Pakistan cricketers.

Sulaiman said he understood why many of Imran’s former teammates were reluctant to speak publicly about his situation. While he believed many of them continued to revere their former captain, he argued that speaking out could be difficult in what he described as a military dictatorship with a crackdown on dissent.

He also acknowledged the support Imran received from former international captains, including Atherton, who signed letters calling for better treatment and medical attention for the former Pakistan captain.

THEY DON’T REGRET IMRAN’S CHOICE OF POLITICS

The brothers were also asked if they ever wished their father had chosen a quieter life after cricket rather than entering politics.

Sulaiman said they do not regret the decision. He described Imran’s desire to fight corruption, lift people out of poverty and improve Pakistan as central to his identity.

While acknowledging that it would have been easier for the family if Imran continued to pursue cricket, Sulaiman said he admired his father’s ambition and believed that politics was ultimately the life he wanted to lead.

STILL trailing with PAKISTAN AT LORD’S

The conversation eventually turned to cricket and Atherton asked the brothers who they would support at Lord’s given that they were both born in England.

There was only a slight hesitation. Despite their English upbringing, Sulaiman and Kasim made it clear that their cricketing loyalties remained with Pakistan.

For the two sons, whose father remains one of the most iconic figures in Pakistan cricket history, there was no doubt which team they would be helping at Lord’s.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

August 28, 2026 11:04 AM IST