Seven former Australia captains write to Penny Wong about Imran Khan's detention

Seven former Australia captains have written to Foreign Minister Penny Wong about Imran Khan's treatment in detention. It is the third letter from international cricket figures about his treatment this year.

Who signed and what they asked

The signatories are Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Kim Hughes, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh.

According to Dawn's report of the letter, they raise humanitarian concerns about:

1. the conditions of Imran Khan's detention,
2. his access to medical care,
3. visits from his family.

They say they are not commenting on the legal cases against him, and write that they speak "not as diplomats or political figures, but as former captains who felt compelled to speak up". Dawn quotes the letter describing his treatment as "a matter of basic humanity, whatever their politics".

The background

• Imran Khan, 73, has been in prison since 2023. In 2025 he and his wife were sentenced to 17 years on corruption charges, which they deny.
• In August, the Supreme Court ordered his transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. Dawn reports that officials instead moved him to a government facility.
• On 23 August, 22 international captains wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asking for medical care in line with the court's directions and an independent medical assessment, citing reports that he had lost vision in his right eye.
• In February, 14 former captains sent a similar letter.

His family has complained publicly for months about limited medical care, restricted family access and little contact with his lawyers, according to The Cricket News report carried by Yahoo Sports.

Canberra's answer so far

Australia's foreign ministry told Dawn it "regularly raises" the case and encourages Pakistan to ensure "appropriate medical care is available". Wong's office had not responded to a separate meeting request from Greg Chappell, according to the same Yahoo Sports report.

Why it matters

Imran Khan captained Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup, won in Melbourne against England. The letter moves the campaign by his former rivals from Islamabad to a foreign capital, and asks Australia to raise humanitarian concerns without taking a position on the verdicts themselves.

We will update this story if Islamabad or Canberra responds. For cricket on the field, follow Pakistan's record on our T20 World Cup page.