‘A friend we admired, played with’: Kapil Dev after letter supporting Imran Khan amid silence from Pakistani cricketers

As Pakistan’s cricket fraternity remains silent over Imran Khan’s deteriorating health, Kapil Dev urged support for his ‘friend’.

A day after 21 former international cricketers wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asking for ‘humane treatment’ of Imran Khan, one of them, and Imran’s contemporary from their playing days, Kapil Dev, reiterated his support for his ‘friend’. Kapil and Imran were two of the four legendary all-rounders of the 1980s and 1990s, alongside New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee and England’s Ian Botham. Before relations between the two countries deteriorated, Indian and Pakistani cricketers used to engage in fun, banter and plenty of conversations and camaraderie off the field. The rapport between Kapil and Imran was one such bond, and it remains strong even decades later.

Kapil Dev and Imran Khan from 2011 (AFP)

Surprisingly, though, the silence from Pakistan and its former cricketers has been hard to ignore. Barring Wasim Akram and a few others from his era, most of the cricketing fraternity have remained tight-lipped about the entire episode. Kapil, however, refuses to blame them for maintaining their stance.

“I don’t blame Pakistani cricketers for not speaking up. They have to live there. But I would like to support my friend, whom we admired and played with," Kapil Dev said.

‘He should get the best treatment’

The letter sent to the Pakistan government was the second such instance in six months, after a collective plea was issued earlier in February, when 14 former captains had expressed deep concern over Khan’s then-deteriorating health. His family had complained that Khan had lost almost all vision in one of his eyes due to alleged medical negligence. Besides urging medical assistance, the former captains also called on the government to allow Khan family visits, hoping that the facility would be reinstated by the court.

"We want he should get the best treatment, what we are asking for. We are not asking for anything else, we are not asking for any replies, we are requesting," added Kapil.

Kapil on Jaiswal

Besides voicing his support for Imran Khan, Kapil also weighed in on the on-field spat between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Asitha Fernando during the ongoing second Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo. The India opener and the Sri Lanka pacer clashed in a heated altercation after Jaiswal’s dismissal. Something said by Fernando prompted an angry reaction from Jaiswal, who headbutted the Sri Lankan pacer. Both players were fined 25 per cent of their match fees.

"That's his way, that's his way. It's fine, every player has his own character. If that's the way he wants to play, good luck to him," mentioned Kapil.