PCB complains to Sky after airing interview with Imran Khan's sons
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired an interview with the sons of former prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan during the lunch interval on the opening day of the second Test against England at Lord's.
Pakistan reportedly considered the option of not returning to the field after the break in protest, contacting Sky ahead of lunch to object to the segment and warning that players would stay off the pitch if it went to air.
Former England captain and Sky Sports broadcaster Mike Atherton conducted the interview, in which Imran's sons Suleiman and Kasim Khan raised concerns about their father's health, alleging the authorities were "trying to kill him" during his three years in prison.
Sky delayed the broadcast during the tense discussions with the board, before eventually running the full 18 minute clip. By the time it concluded, Pakistan's players were already preparing to return for the resumption of the second session at 2:40pm.
The interview had been recorded on Wednesday morning in the Writers' Room at Lord's, with Sky having run a teaser ahead of the Test. Pakistani broadcaster PTV, which holds domestic rights to the series, opted not to air the interview at all.
PCB chair Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's interior minister and maintains close ties to the government, is understood to have lobbied for the interview to be pulled before it aired, though Sky ultimately refused to back down from broadcasting it.
Scrutiny over Imran's health has intensified in recent weeks, with his family pushing for improved medical care. Pakistan's Supreme Court had ordered him admitted to Shifa Hospital in Islamabad last week, but he was instead taken to the state run PIMS facility and returned to prison shortly after a brief check up.
Imran's sisters and sons have alleged the move violated the court's order and have demanded he be allowed access to his personal doctor, with lawyers separately claiming he has lost 85 percent of vision in his right eye due to his living conditions.
Twenty one former international captains, including Atherton, wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week urging proper medical treatment for Imran in custody.
The letter, signed by former captains from India, Australia, England, the West Indies and New Zealand, followed an earlier appeal from 14 captains in February that went unanswered by the Pakistan government.
A separate letter this week, signed by figures including former India captain Kapil Dev and Australians Adam Gilchrist and Greg Chappell, called for a full and independent assessment of Imran's health, with particular focus on his eyesight.
Pakistan ultimately took the field as scheduled following the interval, with play halted only by bad light shortly before 6pm. The tourists are understood to have also raised the matter separately with Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, though the England and Wales Cricket Board has since received assurances the squad will take the field for day two.
The Pakistan government has previously rejected claims that Imran had been mistreated or denied access to family and legal counsel, telling the Associated Press last week that he had received more than 900 visits from relatives, lawyers and doctors since his imprisonment began in August 2023.