Kapil and Gavaskar ‘reacted instantly’; Chappell sheds light on India legends’ quick solidarity with jailed Imran Khan

Due to medical negligence in jail, former Pakistan allrounder Imran has almost lost sight in one eye, leading to concerns from former cricketing greats.

At last, the cricketing greats, including Indian legends Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, woke up from their slumber to support former Pakistan all-rounder Imran Khan, who has been in jail for more than two years now, and according to reports, has almost lost sight in one eye due to medical negligence.

Imran Khan, former PM of Pakistan, has been in jail for more than two years now on charges of corruption. Greg Chappell is worried about his worsening situation in jail. (AFP Photos)

Earlier this week, former Australia captain Greg Chappell, considered one of the finest batsmen of all time, launched a petition signed by several former cricket captains from different countries, demanding that Khan, who was also the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018-2022, be treated properly in jail. Khan was removed from office after a series of corruption charges against him.

Speaking to the renowned Aussie journalists Gideon Haigh and Peter Lalor, Chappell said, “And so, you know, I've been following and keeping in contact with him as much as possible, but since he's been in jail, it's been impossible. I'm in touch with one of his very best friends on a regular basis, and not even his family have been able to see him while he's in jail. So, this has been sort of troubling me for a while, but I thought, well... What difference does one voice make? And it was in conversation with my friend [name not clear], and he said, Well, why don't you talk to other captains, and see if you can get a group of captains that make a statement that that might carry a bit more weight.”

India and Pakistan don’t see eye to eye in the political sphere, and during his tenure as Pakistan PM, Khan wasn’t exactly friendly toward India, despite having been to the country many times as a cricketer and political leader and having nurtured personal relationships with many. As a result, many of his Indian friends refrained from coming out in his support following his jail term.

How Gavaskar and Kapil reacted

Chappell, who also coached Team India during the 2007 World Cup, appeared to be surprised by Kapil and Gavaskar's quick consent. “Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev probably had more pressure than the rest of us, but they both reacted instantly. You've probably seen Sunny's comments… They've been friends for a long time,” he said.

Gavaskar’s comments earlier resonated with many in both India and Pakistan. “I have known Imran since he was 17 years old, when India was playing at Worcester… after the Test series win at The Oval. He was trying to qualify as an overseas player for Worcestershire then. Whatever the political differences there, we believe that he should be looked after in a humane manner and given proper medical care,” he told the Indian Express.

The other cricketers on the petition are Greg’s brother Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd, Allan Border, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Michael Brearley, David Gower, Steve Waugh, John Wright, Kim Hughes and Belinda Clark.