Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has broken a long-standing silence among the country's cricket fraternity over Imran Khan's imprisonment, making an emotional appeal for the former Pakistan captain and prime minister to be released.
In an emotional interview on the Narratives podcast, Miandad called on the Pakistan government to resolve its differences with Imran, who has been in jail since August 2023.
Miandad became visibly emotional while discussing his former teammate and captain, insisting that Imran does not deserve his current situation.
“I pray that what’s going on with him gets resolved, because he does not deserve this,” Miandad said.
“What’s being done to him is not right. It’s unnecessary. He has a family too.”
The comments are particularly significant because Miandad is believed to be the first prominent former Pakistan cricketer to directly address Imran's imprisonment and openly call for his release.
Miandad: “We Were So Close”
Miandad and Imran were two of the most important figures in Pakistan cricket during the 1980s and early 1990s.
They played together for Pakistan and Sussex and were central figures in one of the strongest eras in the country's cricket history. Their relationship, however, has often been portrayed as a competitive one.
Miandad rejected that description.
“There was no rivalry between me and Imran. There was no fight between us,” he said.
“I’ve never complained that Imran wronged me in any way. I had a great career which I am very thankful for.”
Miandad said the memories of their time together have made Imran's current situation particularly difficult for him to watch.
“I think about it all the time, what he must be doing [in prison], what he must be thinking of. We were so close. We used to be together and think so much of each other,” he said.
“We took Pakistan to such new heights. I can’t help but feel so sad about it.”
“Just Release Him”
Miandad went further than simply asking for Imran to receive better treatment in prison, directly calling for his release.
“There’s so much respect in the world for Imran,” he said.
“He has given Pakistan so much. We should think about that. We need to bury the hatchet.”
Miandad also highlighted Imran's status as a former prime minister and warned of the potential consequences if his health deteriorates while imprisoned.
“He’s a former prime minister... God forbid, if something happens to him in jail, all of Pakistan will weep,” Miandad said.
“And at that time, they will all ask why they did this to Imran.”
He then delivered his most direct appeal:
“Just release him, what difference does it make to you?”
Miandad’s Comments Come Amid Growing Concern
The former Pakistan captain's intervention comes at a time when concerns over Imran's health and conditions in prison have attracted international attention.
Last week, 22 former international captains signed an open letter calling on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure that Imran receives adequate healthcare and that his constitutional rights, including family visits, are respected.
Australia captain Pat Cummins has also publicly backed the appeal.
Miandad's comments therefore add the voice of one of Pakistan cricket's most iconic figures to a growing international conversation surrounding Imran's treatment.
Unlike several former Pakistan cricketers who have spoken warmly about Imran's leadership and cricketing legacy, Miandad has now directly addressed his imprisonment.
“If This Is Happening to My Brother, Of Course I’ll Be Upset”
For Miandad, the issue appears to be deeply personal.
The former batter compared Imran's situation to that of a family member and said he could not remain indifferent to what was happening to someone with whom he shared so much of his career.
“If something like this can happen to one of us, we’ll all be upset,” Miandad said.
“If something like this is happening to my brother, of course I’ll be upset.”
Miandad and Imran remain two of the most recognisable figures from Pakistan's golden era of cricket. Their careers helped transform Pakistan into a major force in international cricket, with Imran ultimately leading the country to its historic 1992 World Cup triumph.
More than three decades later, Miandad's emotional intervention has brought their extraordinary cricketing partnership back into the spotlight — this time in the context of one of the most contentious political situations in Pakistan.
