Allan Border, Steve Waugh Among Seven Former Australian Captains Seek Humanitarian Support For Imran Khan

September 15, 2026

Seven former Australian cricket captains have written to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong making a humanitarian appeal concerning former Pakistan captain and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been in prison for more than three years.

The letter was signed by Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. The former captains said they were making the appeal “not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak up”.

According to Cricinfo, the letter made clear that the group was taking no position on the legal or political case against Khan, describing that as a matter for Pakistan. However, they expressed concern about the health of any detained person, calling it a matter of “basic humanity, whatever their politics”.

Imran Khan’s Sons Raise Health Concerns

The latest appeal comes after Imran Khan’s sons also expressed concerns about their father’s health during an interview with Sky Sports during the England-Pakistan series.

Sulaiman Isa Khan alleged that his father was being deliberately kept in prison and claimed authorities wanted to silence him. His remarks came as the Pakistan Cricket Board threatened to pull out of the Lord’s Test, although Pakistan ultimately played the match and suffered a heavy defeat.

The latest letter adds to growing international support from cricket figures seeking attention to Imran Khan’s treatment and health while in custody.

Former Captains Seek Medical Checks, Family Access

Earlier, Australia legend Greg Chappell and current Australian Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins had also voiced support for Khan and called for appropriate treatment of the former Pakistan captain in jail.

In a petition initiated by Chappell and addressed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former international captains including Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar called on Pakistani authorities to allow family access and independent medical examinations for Khan.

Cummins also expressed support on X, saying he hoped the court-ordered medical assessment would be allowed to continue and that family visits would remain possible. He said he hoped Khan would be treated with the dignity anyone deserves.

The petition was signed by 21 former international captains, including Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Atherton, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Nasser Hussain.

The former captains expressed concern over Khan’s health, particularly reports of significant vision loss in his right eye, after more than three years in custody.

The petition stated that Khan, who is 73, has spent more than three years in custody and argued that ensuring completion of a court-ordered medical process was a basic humanitarian request, regardless of the legal and political arguments surrounding his case.