What are the current health concerns regarding Imran Khan in prison?

Imran Khan is facing significant health issues, including losing around 80% vision in his right eye, and reports indicate that he has been kept in isolation for over 23 hours a day, leading to deteriorating mental and physical health.

Why have former cricketers expressed concern for Imran Khan's treatment in custody?

Former cricketers have raised alarms about Imran Khan's treatment due to medical negligence and his prolonged isolation, urging the Pakistani government to provide him with proper medical care and humane conditions while he is incarcerated.

How has the public reacted to the treatment of Imran Khan while in prison?

The public response includes widespread concern, with calls from former international cricketers for better treatment of Imran Khan, reflections on his deteriorating health conditions, and protests against the reported violations of his rights and welfare.

Support intensifies for Imran Khan: Australia captain Pat Cummins throws his weight behind the jailed Pakistan legend

Imran Khan has been in jail for more than three years now. The cricket fraternity is worried over his deteriorating health.

Updated on: Aug 28, 2026, 15:56:29 IST

Written by Prateek Srivastava

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Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins is the latest cricketer to voice his support for former Pakistan all-rounder and prime minister Imran Khan.

Pat Cummins is the latest cricketer to show support for Imran Khan. (REUTERS)

Imran has been in prison for more than three years now on corruption charges, which he vehemently denies. He has been kept in isolation, and earlier this year, it was reported that he had lost significant vision in his right eye. Recently, the apex court in Pakistan ordered that Imran be taken to hospital for a check-up; however, later it emerged he wasn’t taken to the recommended facility and where he was taken, everything was done in a hurry, following which a bunch of 21 former cricketers wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to treat the former captain well.

Also Read: Shocking: PTV ran commercials during Imran Khan’s sons’ Sky interview on day one of the Lord’s Test

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Anyway, Cummins, one of the biggest names in international cricket today, is the latest name to join the bandwagon. What makes his participation unique is that he is still active in the international arena, unlike the 21 former cricketers who wrote to Sharif.

“Adding my support here to GC [Greg Chappell] and the other former international captains. I hope the court ordered medical assessment be allowed to run its course, and that family visits continue. I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves,” Cummins wrote on X, sharing a Greg Chappell video in which the Aussie legend is speaking of Imran’s ordeal.

“At the moment, he's not getting any better. You know, from a physical point of view, it's hard to get information but I saw a video clip the other day, I'm assuming, of his latest trip to hospital where he was put into a wheelchair to get him to, from wherever he was, to wherever he was going, and he didn't look well at all. He didn't look robust. He didn't look like he could really... get around very much.

“I mean, 73 years of age, so obviously, you know, he's getting older, but, you know, I met up with him in Pakistan 6 years ago, and he was still a strong, robust older man. That's not the case anymore. His right eye apparently [has developed a disability]… he's struggling. He's been in isolation for 3 years,” Chappell, an important figure in both the petitions, said in a podcast on the Grade Cricketer Clips and The Grade Cricketer.

"I don't know how anyone deals with that. Imran is as strong physically and mentally as anyone that I played cricket against. But I don't know how you deal with absolute isolation for 3 years. He's not, I don't think, he's allowed to read books. He's pretty much just got to sit there and bathe himself. And he's in the dark most of the time.

"So, that's not good for your mental health, and you know, as your mental health deteriorates, your physical health is going to deteriorate. He doesn't have access, or his family doesn't have access,” Chappell added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Prateek Srivastava
Prateek Srivastava is a senior sports journalist having been in the profession for two decades now. He started his print career with the India Today Group and later also worked for the Asian Age. In 2009, sensing the wind of change, he switched to the digital media and joined Mobile ESPN. There, he covered the 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2010 Hockey World Cup as a venue reporter. He did plenty of voice-over work too, over there. After leaving Mobile ESPN, Prateek went on to work for Cricketnext, Gocricket and Cricbuzz. At Gocricket (Times Internet Limited), he covered the 2014 T20 World from Bangladesh. There he also received a team leadership award, given at the end of the month. Prateek has also covered the 2016 T20 World Cup in India, this time working for Sportz Interactive. He also worked for Chinese giants Alibaba over two years and led their ""Short News"" content team at UC Browser. While cricket is Prateek’s expertise, he has also done a lot of golf. In fact, he has covered India’s first two European Tour events back in the late noughties. He has also done extensive writing on football having been associated with the Indian Super League for three seasons. Finally, Prateek is a literature aficionado and swears by Philip Roth and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and when he doesn’t joke, he is usually quiet and at work.Read More

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