After the first day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s, a dispute started over a Sky Sports interview with Imran Khan’s sons. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) objected to the interview and the situation became serious. The PCB even threatened to boycott the match after the Lunch break and withdraw from the series.
Sky Sports quickly took action and stopped the interview from being shown in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the interview was hosted by former England captain Michael Atherton. The advertisement of the same ran throughout the morning session. When it comes to the interview, it featured Khan’s sons discussing concerns about their father’s health.
Pakistan Threatens to Boycott Test
Imran Khan has been in prison in Pakistan for almost three years. His sons have accused the authorities of trying to harm him and have repeatedly spoken about concerns over his health and safety. The Sky Sports interview was removed from the Pakistan broadcast, and Pakistan’s team, led by Babar Azam, returned to the field after lunch and continued the Test match.
However, after the second day’s play, Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed said he was not aware of the issue when he was asked about it.
“I don’t know anything. I’m just focusing on the match. You’re talking about the interview? We don’t know about the interview,” Sarfaraz said in the press conference. He was also asked whether the team had considered staying off the field after the interview was shown. “All are OK. We were having lunch at that time.”
The PCB, led by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan’s Interior Minister, officially complained to Sky Sports about the interview.
The board also considered taking the matter to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), but later decided that it was not necessary.