Imran Khan’s sons raised concerns over their father’s health in prison in an interview that triggered a confrontation between Sky Sports and the Pakistan Cricket Board at Lord’s
BY PC Bureau
August 28, 2026: A political confrontation erupted at Lord’s during the lunch break of the Test between Pakistan and England after Sky Sports aired an 18-minute interview with the sons of former Pakistan prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had attempted to prevent the interview from being broadcast and reportedly warned that the Pakistan team could refuse to return to the field if Sky aired the segment. The interview was briefly held back as discussions took place, but Sky eventually broadcast it.
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According to ESPNcricinfo, the PCB contacted Sky before lunch and warned that Babar Azam’s team might not resume play if the interview went ahead. Sky proceeded with the broadcast. By the time the interview ended, Pakistan’s players were already warming up, and play eventually resumed at 2.40pm.
The Guardian reported that PCB officials briefly considered keeping the team in the dressing room after the interview was aired. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) intervened and helped defuse the situation, allowing the match to continue. Pakistan also raised the issue with Britain’s Foreign Office.
🚨🏴🇵🇰 — PAKISTAN THREATENED TO WALK OFF THE FIELD AT LORD’S
Lord’s. Lunch break.
Sky sports was about to air an interview with Imran Khan’s sons.PCB’s response?
“Play won’t resume if it aired”Sky sports didn’t blink.
The interview ran. 18 minutes.His son’s words, live to…
— Rajat Jain (@RajatJain) August 28, 2026
The interview, conducted by former England captain Michael Atherton on Wednesday in the Writers’ Room at Lord’s, focused on Imran Khan’s health and conditions in prison. Sky had promoted the interview ahead of its broadcast.
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 and remains in custody in connection with several cases following his removal as Pakistan’s prime minister in 2022.
His sons, Suleiman and Kasim Khan, told Atherton that they feared for their father’s life. Kasim alleged that those holding Khan were deliberately keeping him isolated and said: “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.”
The brothers also spoke about their father’s deteriorating eyesight and the psychological strain of prolonged imprisonment.
The interview was not broadcast in Pakistan by PTV, which holds the domestic rights to the series.
The controversy has an added political dimension because PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister. Several reports suggested that the overlap between the cricket board and the government helped explain the intensity of the PCB’s objection to the interview being aired during an international Test.
The dispute comes days after former Pakistan captains renewed calls for authorities to provide information about Khan’s condition. Atherton himself was among former captains who had previously signed a letter to Pakistan’s prime minister expressing concern over the former cricketer’s health.
Pakistan ultimately did not follow through on its threat to walk off the field. The Test continued, although bad light later brought play to an end.
The team stayed on the field. The political confrontation did not.
