Imran Khan Sons' Interview: PCB Takes Massive Step After Pakistan's Lord's Test Boycott Threat Ignored

Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan team [Source: AFP]

The Mohsin Naqvi-led Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged a formal complaint to the England-based Sky Sports network. The complaint was lodged after the broadcaster aired an interview with the sons of former Pakistan Prime Minister and World Cup winning captain, Imran Khan.

The interview was aired during the lunch break on Day 1 of the second Test of the three-match series between Pakistan and hosts England at Lord’s in London on Thursday, August 27.

PCB contacts England sports network over Imran Khan interview

As per a Cricinfo report, the PCB is understood to have contacted the Sky Sports ahead of the lunch break on Day 1 to protest the interview segment of Imran Khan’s sons.

Former England captain and prominent commentator Mike Atherton conducted the interview with Khan’s sons, namely Suleiman and Kasim Khan. Both Suleiman and Kasim expressed their concerns about the deteriorating health of their father. 

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It is worth noting that Imran Khan is currently inside a Pakistani prison for over three years. Several reports have claimed that there have been attempts made on the life of the former Pakistan Prime Minister, prompting both sons as well as a legion of cricket fans worldwide to fear for the ex-cricketer’s safety. 

While the interview was aired on Sky Sports, it was not broadcast at PTV, the network which is providing live coverage of the England vs Pakistan Test series in Pakistan.

Pakistan threatened to boycott second Test

The report also indicated that the PCB warned the Sky Sports before airing the interview with the sons of Imran Khan. Apparently, the PCB even threatened that the Pakistan players will not return to the field after the lunch break if the network would air the interview.

As it turned out, after a brief delay, Sky Sports eventually aired with the interview, where Mike Atherton can be seen speaking with Suleiman Khan and Kasim Khan at the writer’s room at Lord’s in London. 

Imran Khan’s health deteriorates, shifted to hospital

Earlier this month, the Pakistan Supreme Court ordered the transfer of Imran Khan from his Rawalpindi prison to the Shifa ‌International ⁠Hospital in Islamabad.

Imran’s spokesperson Naeem Haider Panjutha said that the 73-year-old will be under the observation of a panel of elite doctors amid his deteriorating health. 

Notably, a report stated that the former cricketer lost sight in his right eye while in prison. However, the Rawalpindi jail authorities submitted a report claiming that his eyesight is “almost normal”.

Why was Imran Khan arrested  

Imran Khan, former Pakistan Prime Minister and 1992 World Cup winning skipper, was arrested in mid-2023 over his involvement in the Al-Qadir Trust case. In January 2025 last year, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and received a separate 17-year sentence later that year in the Toshakhana-II case. 

Several fans in Pakistan have since protested against the arrest of the former cricketer, claiming that his imprisonment is politically motivated.

Apart from fans, Khan has also received much support from the cricketing fraternity, with former players like Sunil Gavaskar, Adam Gilchrist, Alastair Cook, Steve Waugh and Kapil Dev writing a letter to Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif.

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