'He will die in jail': Chappell leads seven Australian captains' plea for Imran Khan
Seven former Australia cricket captains have written to the country's foreign affairs minister Penny Wong, raising humanitarian concerns over the continued detention of former Pakistan prime minister and cricket legend Imran Khan.
The letter carries the signatures of Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, bringing together some of the most recognisable names in Australian cricket history behind a single appeal.
Greg Chappell, who played 87 Tests for Australia and has separately requested a meeting with Wong on the matter, did not hold back when asked why the group had chosen to speak out once again.
"We are concerned that he will die in jail," Chappell said, echoing the stark warning that has now become central to the group's latest intervention on Khan's behalf.
Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since 2023 having lost power the previous year, and was later sentenced to 14 years following a corruption conviction that he continues to strongly contest through his legal team.
He has faced more than 100 separate legal cases since his removal from office, ranging from bribery and leaking state secrets to the unlawful sale of state gifts, with most convictions since overturned or suspended on appeal.
His party, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf, maintains the entire legal campaign against him has been politically motivated from the outset, a claim Khan himself has repeated consistently throughout his time in detention.
In their letter, the seven captains were careful to distance themselves from any political judgement, insisting their concern rested solely on the basic treatment Khan is receiving while held in custody in Pakistan.
"We take no position on the legal or political case against him. That is Pakistan's business. But the treatment of any person in detention is a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics," they wrote.
The group also drew on personal recollection to illustrate how dramatically circumstances appear to have shifted since Chappell last saw Khan in person, during a visit to Islamabad back in 2022.
"Greg Chappell last saw Imran Khan in Islamabad in 2022, when Khan was Prime Minister, hale, hearty and fit, by his account. It is hard to reconcile that image with the reports now coming out of his detention," the letter stated.
The captains also praised Khan's broader legacy, pointing to his role leading Pakistan to their only World Cup title alongside his humanitarian work establishing cancer hospitals that have benefited thousands of Pakistanis over the years.
"Mr Khan led Pakistan to its only World Cup title. He also led his country as Prime Minister. Australians hold him in great regard, as a cricketer whose skill and leadership left a lasting mark on the game we share," they wrote.
Beyond the captains' own observations, the letter referenced mounting concern voiced publicly by Khan's own family members, who have repeatedly described serious shortcomings in the care and access afforded to him in custody.
"Beyond credible reports, his own sons and sisters have been pleading publicly for months over his health and treatment in detention, limited medical care, restricted family contact, and minimal access to legal counsel among their concerns," the letter noted.
Chappell has separately sought a direct meeting with Wong in recent weeks to discuss the situation further, though no response had been received at the time the latest letter was sent to her office.
This latest appeal follows a similar letter sent on 23 August by twenty two former international captains to Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, calling specifically for an independent medical assessment of Khan's deteriorating eyesight and uninterrupted family visits.
That intervention itself built on an earlier letter from February, signed by 14 former captains, with prominent Pakistani cricketers including Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram and Moin Khan having since added their own voices to the growing campaign.
Current Australia captain Pat Cummins has also publicly backed calls for improved medical care, posting on social media last month that he hoped Khan would be treated with the basic dignity anyone in his position deserves.
Greens foreign affairs spokesperson David Shoebridge added his own criticism of the government's response so far, arguing Australia had done far too little despite months of pressure to formally engage with Pakistani authorities on Khan's welfare.
"For months I have been asking the Australian government to make representations to the Pakistan government and direct the Australian high commission to seek a welfare check on Khan. This is the minimum we should expect," Shoebridge said.
Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has firmly rejected suggestions that Khan is being subjected to punitive treatment, insisting his imprisonment followed lawful judicial proceedings that remain open to further legal challenge.
The ministry added that Khan continues to receive home cooked food, access to exercise equipment and appropriate dietary arrangements, directly disputing claims that his conditions in custody amount to any form of deliberate mistreatment.