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Cricket PlayersKapil, Gavaskar rise above petty politics to aid ailing Imran Khan, remind of cricket’s grace, dignity and humanity
The voices of this esteemed group carry weight; Kapil and Gavaskar are respected figures who have conducted themselves with dignity on and off the field.
Just two days back, India and Pakistan played out a World Cup game which was marked, again, by a studied lack of handshakes, which is such a traditional and endearing part of all sports. A shake of the hand before and after a sporting contest, in victory or defeat, is a mark of respect for the effort put in by the opponent, but it seems that even basic courtesies can be given the go-by at the altar of political compulsions.
It’s against this backdrop that the coming together of a host of retired cricketing luminaries, including iconic former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, in a passionate and heartfelt entreaty to the Pakistani authorities to treat World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan with the respect and humanness he deserves, is particularly heartwarming. Hopefully, those who smell a rat even when the most wonderful aroma is wafting through the air will refrain from making a political issue out of what is essentially a human endeavour spearheaded by Greg Chappell, the former Australian captain and India coach who has once again showcased great statesmanship and leadership abilities.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, sentenced to 14 years in prison in a corruption case. It has emerged that he has lost 85 per cent vision in his right eye due to medical neglect while in custody at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. It’s a dramatic and unedifying fall from grace for one of the greatest cricketers to have played the sport, not just one of the all-time Pakistani greats, whose charisma and charm touched people beyond his nation and beyond his chosen sport.
A natural and dynamic leader of men who commanded respect with his magnetic presence, Imran’s foray into politics with an eye on cleaning up the system was doomed when he chose to be his own man, something that goes against the grain in Pakistan where the military generally has the largest, most vociferous say. In the last two and a half years, the 73-year-old Imran’s health has deteriorated significantly. There were even fears that he might have passed on until his sister was allowed to visit him in prison late last year.
In an emotionally drafted letter whose architect is Chappell, the cricketers – men and woman (Australian Belinda Clark) – have sought the most basic of needs that any human being is entitled to, let alone a national hero whose attained cult status after orchestrating a Phoenix-like rise from the ashes at the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. All that the cricketers, all of whom have led their countries at the highest level, have urged the Pakistan Government to do is provide Imran with medical attention from qualified specialists of Imran’s choosing to address his health issues, humane and dignified conditions of detention in line with international standards, and fair and transparent access to legal processes without undue delay or hindrance.
It’s a carping shame that in any day and age, someone must have to speak on someone else’s behalf for the bare essentials that every legal system is expected, indeed dutybound, to offer. That Chappell has been moved to do so, and has taken the lead in roping in several of the biggest names to have played the sport, is great credit to the former Australian captain, who has never been shy of calling a spade a spade.
A salute to this bunch of dignified individuals
In a world where people are so reluctant, maybe even afraid, to espouse someone else’s cause, however pressing the requirement must be, it is beautifully heartening to see so many weigh in with their support for Imran. It goes to show how much goodwill the former Pakistani captain still enjoys, but it also is reflective of the larger cricketing community not going into its shell and deserting someone who needs them. The voice of this eclectic bunch carries a lot of weight; these are massively respected figures in the cricketing ecosystem and have conducted themselves with dignity throughout their cricketing careers and beyond. They can only be ignored at one’s peril; it remains to be seen how the Pakistani government reacts to this missive, which isn’t designed to derive political mileage but whose intention surely is to shake up the soporific and indifferently uncaring establishment that has deplorably and regrettably turned its back on one of its own.
Gavaskar and Kapil have never shied away from backing causes they believe are justified and for the greater good. If, however, they had excused themselves from being part of this Fab Fourteen for obvious reasons – given the geopolitical relations between the two nations and a history of hostility that has plumbed new depths in recent times – no one would have blamed them. But that’s now how these two gentlemen played their cricket, so it is hardly a surprise that they have once again lived up to their champion billing. In their commitment to the Imran cause is a lesson for those to whom grace and dignity and sporting spirit seem utterly irrelevant given what they consider to be the larger picture.
This show of solidarity is an example of generosity in spirit and the desire to take things into one’s own hands instead of merely moaning and complaining and waiting for someone else to take the lead. A big shout-out to Chappell for rallying the cricketing community, and to Gavaskar and Kapil for again rising beyond petty politics. Cricket’s reputation as a gentleman’s game isn’t unfounded, and the sport thanks the Fab Fourteen for that.
