Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has mocked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for complaining to Sky Sports for running the interview of Imran Khan’s sons during the lunch break on day one of the second Test at Lord’s. Imran’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, spoke about their jailed father’s ordeal in a pre-recorded interview with former England captain Michael Atherton.
At one point, the Pakistani cricket team even threatened to boycott the game if Sky decided to go ahead with the interview. However, the interview went on air, although a little later than expected, and the Pakistani team also returned to the field of play. Anyway, the PCB later complained to Sky about their decision to run the interview, which appears to have got Khawaja’s goat. The 39-year-old commented on a post on the PCB complaint and wrote mockingly or in disbelief: “This has got to be a joke.”
Khawaja, who played 88 Tests, 40 ODIs and 9 T20Is for Australia, was born in Islamabad, Pakistan. Pat Cummins is another Aussie to have thrown his weight behind the jailed leader. Sharing a video clip in which Greg Chappell is speaking about Imran’s ordeal in jail for more than three years now, Cummins wrote on X: “Adding my support here to GC 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.”
Also Read: Shocking: PTV ran commercials during Imran Khan’s sons’ Sky interview on day one of the Lord’s Test
Chappell recently led a bunch of former cricketers and urged Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to provide Imran with humane treatment after the former all-rounder was taken to hospital for a check-up at the behest of the apex court but was sent back after a rushed assessment of his condition. Imran has been kept in isolation, and earlier this year in February too, the Chappell-led former cricketers, although fewer in number, wrote to the Pakistani authorities and requested them to treat Imran well.
“They [Khan’s captors] are not even acting with any kind of strategy any more. It is not very clear what they are doing, just blatantly trying to kill him in there. Keep him in as long as possible, and silence him.
“The last time he was able to speak to our aunties and anyone else, he said the conditions have severely worsened recently. He has been relating it to other political prisoners who have been killed or who have died in prison. Right now, it is worse than ever, completely isolating him more than 23 hours a day in a cell,” Kasim said in the Sky interview.
Imran is in jail on corruption charges which he denies.