The China Mail - Wasim Akram urges 'fair treatment' for jailed Imran Khan

Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since 2023 and was sentenced late last year along with his wife to 17 years on corruption charges they both deny.

During lunch on the first day of the recent second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's, Sky Sports broadcast an interview conducted by former England captain Michael Atherton with Khan's sons Kasim and Sulaiman.

During the interview, they criticised their father's treatment by Pakistani authorities in stark terms.

Some reports suggested the Pakistan Cricket Board were so angered by the broadcast they considered refusing to let their team take the field after the interval.

No boycott ensued, however, and the match -- which Pakistan eventually lost by 194 runs to go 2-0 down in a three-match series -- continued as scheduled.

In August, Atherton was one of a group of 21 former international cricket captains, including India's Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, pleading for Khan to be treated humanely and with "basic human consideration" by Pakistani authorities.

Akram, told the 'Old Boys, New Balls' podcast co-hosted by another ex-England captain in Ian Botham: "We would like to thank all the captains that recently signed a petition for Imran.

"I feel for skipper, I miss him as a friend, I miss him as a mentor, we miss him as a leader. We haven't seen his picture for three years," added outstanding left-arm fast bowler Akram, a key member of the Pakistan team led by Khan that won the 1992 World Cup.

"What we want from this government is to give him the fair treatment, like other politicians had before.

"Fingers are crossed, inshallah (God willing) the whole nation is behind him and he'll be out (soon)."

Following his retirement from cricket, Khan went into politics and was prime minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022.

But he was removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and Pakistan's powerful military establishment. He has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges.

Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, maintain the cases against him are politically motivated.

His arrest triggered nationwide protests in May 2023, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.

M.Zhou--ThChM