PCB complains to Sky over interview with Imran Khan’s sons, considered Test boycott

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports after the broadcaster aired an interview with the sons of former Pakistan prime minister and captain Imran Khan during the lunch interval on the opening day of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s on Thursday.

According to Cricinfo, the PCB considered the possibility of Pakistan not taking the field after lunch in protest against the interview.

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Former England captain and current Sky Sports broadcaster Mike Atherton conducted the interview with Imran’s sons, Suleiman and Kasim Khan, who expressed concerns about their father’s health. Imran has been in prison for three years, and his sons said they feared for his life.

The PCB is understood to have contacted Sky Sports ahead of the lunch break to protest the segment and threatened that Pakistan’s players would not return to the field if it was aired.

During those discussions, Sky delayed the interview before eventually broadcasting the 18-minute segment. By the time it ended, Pakistan’s players were preparing to return to the field for the second session at 2:40pm.

Atherton conducted the interview with Imran’s sons on Wednesday morning in the Writers’ Room at Lord’s, while Sky Sports had already aired a teaser in the build-up to the Test. In Pakistan, PTV, which is broadcasting the series, did not show the interview.

Imran’s health has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, with his sons stepping up efforts to secure appropriate medical care for him. Last week, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered that he be admitted to Shifa Hospital in Islamabad.

Instead, he was taken to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and returned to prison shortly after a check-up. Imran’s sisters and sons have alleged that this violated the court order and demanded that he be allowed to see his personal doctor.

Last week, 21 former international captains, including Atherton, wrote to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to ensure that Imran receives proper medical care in prison.

The letter was signed by former captains from India, Australia, England, the West Indies and New Zealand. It followed a previous letter signed by 14 former captains in February, which received no response from the Pakistan government.

Pakistan ultimately took the field as scheduled after the lunch interval. ESPNcricinfo has contacted the PCB for official comment.

The Pakistan government last week rejected allegations that Imran had been mistreated in prison or denied contact with his family and lawyers. In a statement to the Associated Press, the government said Imran had received more than 900 visits from family members, lawyers and doctors since his imprisonment in August 2023.