In a joint appeal released on Tuesday, the former players described Khan as ‘one of the finest all rounders the game has ever seen’ and voiced deep concern over reports about his health and prison conditions.

Khan, 73, who rose from cricket icon to political heavyweight, has been in jail since August 2023. He has been convicted in several cases, which he insists are politically motivated and stem from his removal from office through a parliamentary vote in 2022.

Last week, his lawyer informed the Supreme Court that Khan had suffered a serious decline in vision in his right eye while in custody. However, a medical board on Monday stated that after treatment, the swelling had eased and his eyesight had improved. The mixed signals have only added to public unease.

Despite long-standing tensions between India and Pakistan, Gavaskar and Kapil Dev put rivalry aside and signed the petition. It speaks in a tone of respect rather than protest, saying many of the signatories have played against Khan, shared the field with him, or admired his rare blend of skill, charisma and competitive fire.

‘As cricketers who believe in fair play, respect and the spirit of the game,’ the statement reads, ‘we feel that a figure of Imran Khan’s stature deserves treatment befitting a former national leader and global sports icon.’

Among the other signatories are former Australian captains Greg Chappell, Allan Border and Steve Waugh, along with Belinda Clark and Kim Hughes. Their collective voice carries weight in a sport where legacy and honor matter deeply.

Khan’s cricket career remains a shining chapter in Pakistan’s sporting history. Between 1971 and 1992, he played 88 Tests and 175 One Day Internationals, leading Pakistan to its only ODI World Cup triumph in 1992 a victory that still echoes in the nation’s memory.

Speaking to Reuters, his son, Qasim Khan, said the immediate concern is his father’s health. But he added that broader issues are at stake, including his freedom, respect for fundamental human rights, adherence to the rule of law and the guarantee of a fair trial.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi responded on Tuesday, saying the government does not wish to give Khan’s health a ‘political color.’ He stated that if doctors recommend hospitalization, authorities would admit him ‘even for two weeks.’ ‘But if the doctors do not advise it, how can we?’ he asked.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan has been provided medical facilities, including treatment at Islamabad’s PIMS hospital, and that medical experts have examined him. Party leaders, he added, have been formally briefed.

As cricketing icons step into a debate that goes beyond the boundary line, their appeal serves as a reminder that sport, at its best, stands for fairness and dignity values that do not fade when the stadium lights go out.