London: Pakistan’s cricket team was caught in the middle of an extraordinary controversy during the second Test against England at Lord’s after an interview with the sons of former Pakistan Prime Minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan was broadcast by Sky Sports.
While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly objected to the broadcast and allegedly threatened to withdraw the team from the Test, members of the Pakistan squad were seen watching the interview during the lunch break on the opening day.
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, however, said he and the players were unaware of any discussions between the PCB and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over the interview. His comments came after Pakistan suffered a heavy batting collapse on the second day of the Lord’s Test.
The controversy has added another layer to a difficult Test series for Pakistan, whose performance on the field has also come under scrutiny.
Imran Khan’s sons interview sparks controversy
Sky Sports aired an interview with Imran Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, during the lunch interval on the first day of the second Test at Lord’s.
The interview focused on their father’s situation and concerns surrounding his treatment while in prison. Imran Khan has been incarcerated since 2023 after being convicted in corruption-related cases, and his sons have repeatedly raised concerns about his health and conditions in detention.
The broadcast became controversial because of its political nature and the timing of its transmission during an international cricket match involving Pakistan.
Multiple reports stated that the PCB had complained to Sky Sports about the proposed broadcast. There were also reports that Pakistan had threatened not to return to the field after lunch if the interview was aired.
However, the interview went ahead and the Pakistan players eventually returned to the field as scheduled.
The PCB’s reported position created an unusual situation in which a cricket match became linked to a political controversy involving one of Pakistan’s most prominent former cricketers.
Pakistan players reportedly watched the interview
According to the latest NDTV report, members of the Pakistan team were seen watching the interview during the lunch break at Lord’s.
The development is significant because the PCB was reportedly unhappy about Sky Sports broadcasting the programme, while the players themselves appeared to be aware of what was being shown.
Pakistan’s public broadcaster PTV, which was carrying the Test using Sky’s feed, did not show the interview to viewers in Pakistan. Instead, advertisements were reportedly shown during the relevant segment.
The contrast between what was shown in the UK broadcast and what viewers in Pakistan saw added to the controversy surrounding the programme.
Despite the dispute, the Pakistan team returned to the field after the lunch interval, meaning the reported threat of a boycott did not materialise.
Sarfaraz Ahmed denies knowledge of boycott threat
At the end of the second day’s play, Sarfaraz Ahmed faced questions about the controversy.
When asked about discussions between the PCB and ECB concerning the Sky Sports interview, the Pakistan head coach said he did not know anything about them.
“I don’t know anything. I’m just focusing on the match,” Sarfaraz said.
When the reporter asked whether there had been any suggestion that Pakistan’s players would refuse to take the field following the interview, Sarfaraz repeatedly interrupted with “no, no, no, no”.
He then clarified: “You’re talking about the interview? We don’t know about the interview.”
Asked about the team’s situation during the lunch break, Sarfaraz said the players were simply having lunch.
“All are OK. We were having lunch at that time,” he said.
His responses suggested that the Pakistan team’s focus remained on the Test match and that the players were not involved in the reported discussions between the cricket boards.
PCB reportedly threatened action over Sky broadcast
The dispute reportedly went beyond a complaint to the broadcaster.
Multiple reports stated that the PCB had threatened to prevent the Pakistan team from returning to the field after lunch and had even considered withdrawing from the Lord’s Test and the remaining matches of the England tour.
The ECB was reportedly involved in discussions to resolve the situation, while government advice was also sought in Britain because of the political sensitivity surrounding the interview.
Ultimately, no boycott took place.
The Pakistan team resumed play after the scheduled lunch interval, allowing the Test match to continue without interruption.
The incident nevertheless highlighted the difficult relationship between cricket administration, broadcasting decisions and political issues surrounding Imran Khan.
Pakistan’s cricket problems add to pressure
The controversy emerged at a particularly difficult time for Pakistan on the field.
After England had established a strong position in the second Test, Pakistan’s batting collapsed for just 110 runs.
England secured a 261-run first-innings lead, putting Pakistan under significant pressure at Lord’s. Young opener Azan Awais was one of the few positives for the visitors, scoring 46 runs while much of the batting line-up struggled against England’s bowling attack.
The poor batting display meant Sarfaraz was already facing a series of difficult questions from reporters.
The coach had been asked about Pakistan’s batting problems, England’s dominant bowling performance and Awais’ efforts to hold the innings together.
The controversy surrounding the Imran Khan interview then became another major subject during the press conference.
Sarfaraz faces repeated questions
The Pakistan head coach reportedly faced several questions relating to the team’s performance before journalists turned their attention to the reported PCB threat.
Sarfaraz repeatedly returned to the team’s cricketing focus and said he was concentrating on the match.
The coach’s response was notable because the reported PCB-ECB discussions concerned the team he was responsible for leading.
According to NDTV, Sarfaraz’s response suggested that neither he nor the players had been informed about any threat to stop play.
The episode has consequently raised questions about communication between the Pakistan cricket administration and its national team.
If the reported threat was indeed discussed at board level, the coach’s comments indicate that the information did not reach the dressing room.
Pakistani journalists reportedly avoid Imran questions
The controversy has also affected the interaction between Pakistan’s players and the media during the tour.
According to NDTV, sources close to the development suggested that Pakistani journalists would not ask questions about Imran Khan or the Sky Sports interview for the remainder of the series.
The report noted that the first three questions at Sarfaraz’s press conference were similar and focused on Pakistan’s poor batting performance.
The visiting reporters had also avoided raising the Imran Khan issue in Leeds during the first Test and later in London.
This has meant that the political controversy has largely been addressed through questions from English reporters rather than Pakistan’s travelling media contingent.
Imran Khan’s cricket legacy adds sensitivity
Imran Khan occupies a unique position in Pakistan’s cricket history.
He captained Pakistan to its first and only men’s ODI World Cup title in 1992 and remains one of the most influential figures associated with the country’s cricket.
His transition from international cricket to politics made him a major political figure, eventually serving as Pakistan’s Prime Minister.
His imprisonment has continued to generate international attention, while his family has raised concerns about his health and treatment.
The involvement of his sons in the Sky Sports interview therefore gave the controversy a direct connection to Pakistan’s cricketing past.
The fact that the interview was broadcast during a Test involving Pakistan made the situation even more sensitive for the country’s cricket authorities.
Sky Sports stands by its broadcast
Despite the reported PCB objection, Sky Sports proceeded with the interview.
The broadcaster’s decision meant that viewers in the UK were able to watch Sulaiman and Kasim discuss their father’s situation while the Test match was being played.
The ECB was reportedly consulted because of the potential impact on the match, but the game eventually continued as normal.
The incident has since attracted considerable attention in British and international cricket media.
It also raised questions about the extent to which cricket broadcasters should cover politically sensitive issues involving prominent sports figures.
PTV takes different approach in Pakistan
The broadcast situation was different for viewers in Pakistan.
PTV, which was using Sky’s feed for the Test, did not carry the Imran Khan interview. Instead, advertisements were shown during that portion of the broadcast.
This meant that audiences watching the match in Pakistan did not see the same content that viewers in the UK received.
The difference in coverage underlined the sensitivity of the subject within Pakistan.
It also added another element to the wider dispute between the PCB and Sky Sports.
Team remains focused on Test match
Despite the controversy away from the pitch, Pakistan’s immediate sporting challenge remains the Test series against England.
The team has struggled during the Lord’s Test, particularly with the bat.
The collapse for 110 left Pakistan facing a significant deficit, while England’s bowlers maintained control of the match.
For Sarfaraz, the challenge is therefore twofold: managing a struggling side on the field while dealing with questions surrounding an issue over which he says he had little knowledge.
The coach has maintained that his priority is cricket.
A controversy that refuses to disappear
The Imran Khan interview controversy has now become a significant subplot of the England-Pakistan Test series.
What began as a television interview involving the former Pakistan captain’s sons developed into a dispute involving the PCB, Sky Sports and reportedly the ECB.
The possibility of a Test boycott created further uncertainty before the Pakistan team eventually returned to the field.
Sarfaraz’s latest comments have added another twist, as the coach insists that neither he nor the players were aware of any reported threat to stop playing.
Meanwhile, the sight of Pakistan players watching the interview has provided another talking point.
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding the broadcast of Imran Khan’s sons’ interview has placed Pakistan cricket in an unusual spotlight during the Lord’s Test.
While the PCB reportedly objected to the Sky Sports broadcast and was said to have threatened serious action, Pakistan’s players eventually returned to the field and continued the match.
Sarfaraz Ahmed has now said that he and his players did not know about the reported discussions between the PCB and ECB, insisting that the team was focused on cricket.
The episode comes amid Pakistan’s difficult performance in the Test, with the visitors bowled out for 110 and England establishing a substantial lead.
With Pakistani journalists reportedly avoiding questions about Imran Khan for the remainder of the series, the controversy may remain largely outside the team’s official cricketing conversations.
However, the incident has demonstrated once again how closely Pakistan’s cricketing identity remains connected to Imran Khan, whose legacy as a World Cup-winning captain continues to resonate decades after his playing career ended.