Concern over Imran Khan’s health and treatment in prison has increasingly spilled beyond Pakistan’s political arena and into the cricketing world, with a group of former international captains calling for the country’s 1992 World Cup-winning skipper to receive proper medical care and dignified treatment. Khan, who later served as Pakistan’s prime minister, has been in prison since 2023 amid a series of legal cases, while questions over his health and access to medical treatment have recently prompted several prominent former cricketers to speak publicly.
West Indies legend Brian Lara has now joined those voices, making an emotional appeal for Khan while stressing that his intervention is about humanity rather than politics. Lara said his interactions with Khan during their playing days were limited, but the respect he developed for the former Pakistan captain had stayed with him.
Brian Lara calls for proper medical care for Imran Khan
“Imran Khan and I only crossed paths on the field a handful of times, but the respect I have for him was instant and lasting,” Lara wrote on Instagram. The former West Indies captain then reflected on Khan’s stature in Pakistan and questioned how someone once regarded as a symbol of sporting pride could find himself in his present circumstances.
“I am struggling to understand how someone who was once a beacon of hope, pride and inspiration for his country, at the height of his sporting career, could now find himself in a situation where he is not being cared for and treated with the compassion and dignity he deserves,” Lara wrote. Khan remains one of the defining figures in Pakistan cricket history, having led the national side to its maiden ODI World Cup title in 1992 before eventually entering politics and becoming prime minister in 2018.
{{/usCountry}}“I am struggling to understand how someone who was once a beacon of hope, pride and inspiration for his country, at the height of his sporting career, could now find himself in a situation where he is not being cared for and treated with the compassion and dignity he deserves,” Lara wrote. Khan remains one of the defining figures in Pakistan cricket history, having led the national side to its maiden ODI World Cup title in 1992 before eventually entering politics and becoming prime minister in 2018.
{{/usCountry}}Lara also aligned himself with the former captains who have already raised concerns over Khan’s welfare, specifically calling for independent medical attention. “I stand with my fellow former captains in asking that he receive proper, independent medical care and the dignity every human being deserves,” he wrote.
The West Indies great made it clear that his statement was not intended as a comment on the political battles or legal cases surrounding Imran Khan. Instead, Lara framed his appeal entirely around the former Pakistan captain’s health and dignity, concluding: “This isn’t politics. It’s basic humanity for a legend of our game.” Lara’s intervention adds another of cricket’s most celebrated names to the growing chorus surrounding Khan’s treatment. His statement stayed away from the wider political debate and focused squarely on what he believes should be a basic demand: independent medical care and humane treatment for one of the sport’s most influential former captains.