Pakistan Cricket Board Complains to Sky Sports Over Imran Khan Interview

The Pakistan Cricket Board has lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired a politically charged interview with Imran Khan’s sons during coverage of the second Test at Lord’s.

The interview with Kasim and Sulaiman Khan, shown on the first day’s play, moved sharply away from swing, seam and scorecards. Khan’s children used the platform to condemn the Pakistan government’s treatment of their father, the former prime minister and World Cup-winning captain, who has been held in solitary confinement for three years.

Their intervention dragged one of cricket’s most powerful broadcasters into the centre of Pakistan’s bitter political battle. The PCB’s grievance, while not detailed publicly, centres on Sky offering airtime to voices openly critical of the sitting government during an international match involving Pakistan.

Sky has acknowledged receiving the complaint but, when approached by the Guardian, declined to comment. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has also been informed of the PCB’s concerns and has likewise chosen not to speak publicly on the matter.

Behind the broadcast row lies a far darker story. Khan’s lawyers have described his incarceration and conditions as “slow-motion murder”. His sister has alleged that he has been tortured in prison. Now 73, Khan was moved to a hospital last week after a supreme court ruling allowed a temporary release for treatment, only to be sent back to jail shortly afterwards.

The case has drawn an extraordinary response from some of the game’s biggest names. Many of the world’s great former cricketers have signed two joint letters demanding “humane treatment and proper medical care” for the man who lifted the 1992 World Cup. The group includes six former England captains, former India captain Kapil Dev, and former Australian batters Adam Gilchrist and Greg Chappell.

Their first letter was published in February. This week they returned with a second, more urgent appeal, calling for “a full and independent assessment of his health”, with particular concern over his right eye. According to Khan’s lawyers, he has lost 85% of the vision in that eye, damage they link directly to his conditions in custody.

No current or former Pakistan internationals signed either letter.