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Give Imran Khan proper medical care, cricket legends urge Pakistani gov’t

Published

2 months ago

2026/08/24

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Twenty-one former cricket captains have raised concerns over Khan’s deteriorating health and alleged mistreatment during his imprisonment (Aljazeera)

Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister and cricket captain, Imran Khan, must be given “humane treatment and proper medical care”, urge a group of cricket greats in a letter seen by Al Jazeera and addressed to Pakistan’s current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Twenty-one former captains from around the world have appealed to Sharif’s government to allow an independent assessment of Khan’s health, reinstate his weekly family visits and provide him with the required medical treatment without delay, four signatories of the letter confirmed to Al Jazeera late on Sunday.

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned for the past three years on a range of charges.

On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered local authorities to transfer Khan from Adiala jail to the privately run Shifa International Hospital by midnight on Thursday. However on Saturday, Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed a contempt petition against the government after he was sent to a state-run hospital instead of the private facility ordered by the top court, party officials said.

Khan is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest-ever all-rounders and arguably Pakistan’s greatest cricketer, who led his nation to its first World Cup win in 1992 and holds the record for most international wins for a Pakistani captain.

Khan’s former cricket adversaries turned friends said the recent events prompted them to pen a letter to Sharif, who replaced the PTI founder as prime minister in April 2022 and again after Pakistan’s last general election in February 2024.

The letter, dated August 23, follows similar outreach in February by 14 former international cricket captains who raised concerns over Khan’s deteriorating health and alleged mistreatment during his imprisonment.

“We wrote then not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field — one that transcends the borders and disputes that too often divide countries,” said the letter.

“We write again now — joined by seven further former captains — because of what has reportedly just occurred,” read the letter, whose signatories include cricket Hall of Famers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Clive Lloyd, Allan Border, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, John Wright and David Gower.

(Aljazeera)

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Showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district

Published

1 day ago

2026/10/8

Priyan

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 08 OCTOBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 08 October 2026 by the Department of Meteorology

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the early hours of the morning.

Showers or thundershowers will occur in the most part of the island after 1.00 p.m. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura district.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa arrested by CIABOC

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2 days ago

2026/10/7

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Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was produced before the Hulftsdorp court, after being arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and produce

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Smriti Mandhana appointed India captain across formats

Published

2 days ago

2026/10/7

Priyan

Smriti Mandhana looks on in the field [Cricinfo]

Smriti Mandhana has been named India’s all-format women’s captain on the same day Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down from the role after nearly a decade since she first took over.

Mandhana – vice-captain to Harmanpreet for much of this period – has previously led India in four ODIs and 18 T20Is, apart from captaining Maharashtra in domestic cricket and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Women’s Premier League.

Mandhana’s first assignment will be the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe beginning with the three T20Is in Raipur from October 16. On Tuesday, Mandhana was part of the selection meeting chaired by Amita Sharma to pick the squad for the tour.

Terming the appointment a “special honour”, Mandhana also acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor in her welcome note.

“I would also like to acknowledge Harmanpreet and the contribution she has made as captain over the years,” she was quoted as saying by the BCCI. “She has led the team with great commitment and has been an important part of our journey.

“I understand the responsibility that comes with this role and look forward to working with the team, learning along the way and giving my best to take Indian cricket forward.”

Mandhana’s appointment comes on the back of a review meeting held on Monday in Guwahati. Chaired by secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was also attended by Mandhana, Harmanpreet and head coach Amol Muzumdar to chart a roadmap forward, with an eye on next year’s inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in February as well as the T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Mandhana, India’s best all-format batter, has been knocking on the doors for a while. Earlier this year, she led RCB to their second WPL title, in which she also top-scored in the final.

In September, she overtook Mithali Raj to become the leading run-scorer in women’s international across formats. Her 18 international hundreds are also the most in women’s cricket. She is also the first Indian woman to score centuries in all formats.

[Cricinfo]