What is happening with Imran Khan? Javed Miandad gives harrowing account of former Pakistan captain

Javed Miandad has now weighed in on Imran Khan's imprisonment as he broke down and called for his old teammate's release. He urged the Pakistan government to sort things out through talks rather than letting Imran rot in jail.

Imran, 73, has been held in Rawalpindi since 2023 after being convicted on corruption charges. He was recently taken to Islamabad for a medical checkup before being sent straight back to Adiala Jail.

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He's always maintained he did nothing wrong, calling the whole case against him a political hit job rather than anything backed by evidence.

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What is happening with Imran Khan? Javed Miandad gives the details

A day after a Sky Sports interview featuring Imran's sons made headlines around the globe, Miandad found himself visibly emotional while discussing the conditions his former teammate faces.

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"He is an honest man. He is not someone who engages in corrupt practices, otherwise he would have done a lot of things. What will happen if you let him out? Will he eat or damage someone? He is also someone's son. I always think about what he must be doing," Miandad said on the Narrative YouTube channel.

"Everyone should see, everyone should understand: we are all Pakistanis. And with a Pakistani... what will happen in the future, who knows? We played county cricket together, we shared everything. We know, I know everything about Imran. He is an honest man. He wasn't someone indulging in corruption, otherwise he could have done so much.

"So my prayer to Allah is simply that may this issue be solved, may it be resolved. To our Pakistan government as well, whatever I have to say... I am not anyone of stature, but I can say as his colleague..."

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Imran remains one of Pakistan cricket's most iconic figures, having led the national team to its first and only ODI World Cup title back in 1992, a triumph that still defines his legacy well beyond his subsequent political career as the country's Prime Minister.

Speaking about their relationship during the playing days, Miandad added: "We played county cricket together, living together, eating and drinking together. Our six months over there were spent together. And after that in the Pakistan team—then I gave up the captaincy. He was captain, then I became captain, then gave the captaincy back to him. So our relationship was very good, and we spent great times together in cricket."

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What did Imran Khan's sons reveal in their interview?

Imran's sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, appeared alongside former England cricketer Michael Atherton during a lunch-break interview at the second Test at Lord's. In that conversation, they spoke candidly about their fears for their father's wellbeing, alleging the Pakistan government was actively working to harm him.

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"They are not even acting with any kind of strategy anymore. 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," Kasim said, describing how their father's own account of conditions had worsened significantly in recent weeks, with comparisons drawn to other political prisoners who've died in custody.

"Right now, it is worse than ever, completely isolating him for more than 23 hours a day in a cell," he added.

Kasim also spoke about the emotional toll this had taken, describing his father's noticeably stressed appearance and the eye patch he'd been wearing.

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"Right now, it's really crucial for us that he gets proper treatment... that is something that is very hard for us to imagine because he embodies a very calm, assured presence every time I have ever seen him, including being at gunpoint. A car we were in was robbed, and he was the calmest person there," he said.

How has the cricketing world responded to the Imran Khan situation?

Support for Imran's proper medical treatment has been building steadily beyond just Pakistani circles. Australia's Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins publicly backed a growing campaign led by former international captains, becoming perhaps the first currently active player to speak out on the issue.

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His comments followed a letter signed by 21 former captains, including India great Sunil Gavaskar, addressed to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanding humane treatment for the jailed cricketing legend.

"Adding my support here to GC (Greg Chappell) and the other former international captains. I hope the court-ordered medical assessment is allowed to run its course, and that family visits continue. I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves," Cummins wrote on X, sharing a clip of Chappell expressing similar concerns.

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