— Pakistan cricket board lodges formal complaint after Sky Sports airs Kasim and Sulaiman Khan’s explosive interview
— PCB reportedly considered pulling Pakistan team off the field — and is now weighing further legal action
By Irum Saleem
An explosive interview by Imran Khan’s sons on Sky Sports has plunged Pakistan cricket into an extraordinary controversy at Lord’s, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodging a formal complaint against the broadcaster and reportedly considering further action over the programme.
Kasim and Sulaiman Khan spoke to former England captain and Sky Sports commentator Michael Atherton during the first day of the second Test between England and Pakistan, raising grave concerns over their father’s health, prison conditions and safety.
When Michael Atherton asked Imran Khan’s sons who are they supporting, their answer was simple: PAKISTAN.
— Alina Shigri (@alinashigri) August 28, 2026
Given the team’s recent performances, IK’s sons seem to have more faith in them than the PCB itself ! pic.twitter.com/TqbsQZ52Ap
Adding my support here to GC and the other former international captains. I hope the court ordered medical assessment be allowed to run its course, and that family visits continue. I hope Imran Khan is treated with the dignity anyone deserves https://t.co/L1L512wXao
— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) August 28, 2026
The 18-minute interview, recorded at Lord’s, was aired during the lunch interval despite the PCB’s objections.
The board had reportedly contacted Sky Sports before the broadcast and warned that Pakistan’s players could refuse to return to the field for the afternoon session if the interview went ahead.
Sky nevertheless aired the segment, turning an already politically sensitive issue into a full-blown cricket controversy.
Pat Cummins has thrown his weight behind the ongoing campaign by former international captains seeking medical care for former Pakistan prime minister and captain Imran Khan
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 28, 2026
Read more: https://t.co/GImzOT5ZhR pic.twitter.com/y9G3LhEu1r
The PCB subsequently filed a formal complaint with Sky Sports. British media reports said the board was particularly angered by what it viewed as the introduction of political content into live coverage of an international Test.
The confrontation briefly threatened to overshadow the Test itself, with the possibility of Pakistan not taking the field after lunch reportedly discussed.
The team eventually returned to the ground and play resumed.
During the interview, Imran’s sons said they feared for their father’s wellbeing and described what they believe to be a serious deterioration in his condition while in prison.
Their comments came amid an intensifying dispute over the former prime minister’s medical treatment and access to independent doctors.
The PCB’s intervention has itself become a major international story, raising questions over whether a national cricket board can or should seek to prevent a broadcaster from airing an interview involving the family of a former Pakistan captain and prime minister.
The controversy is particularly striking given Atherton’s own involvement in an appeal by former international cricket captains calling for Imran Khan to receive proper medical treatment.
For the PCB, however, the issue has moved beyond editorial disagreement. Its formal complaint — and reports that it is considering further legal or official action — threaten to turn the Lord’s episode into a wider confrontation between Pakistan cricket authorities and one of Britain’s major sports broadcasters.
