Unpredictability about the cricket played by the men in green is best captured in the meme “Never bet against Pakistan… unless they’re winning comfortably” or “Never switch off the TV when Pakistan is playing. The real match starts when it looks completely over.” The most famous Pakistani cricketer (or even any Pakistani) is, arguably, Imran Khan, who typifies the volatile phenomenon of “against all odds”. The motivational metaphor of the “cornered tiger” invoked by Imran Khan in 1992, to describe the imminent fight-back following a series of defeats in the World Cup, goes down in the annals of cricketing folklore as his signature leadership moment with nothing to lose.
But who would have imagined that in the “land of the pure” or the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a former playboy with a colourful past, marriage to an English Jew, and a self-created political party, would become so powerful that all others (including the Pakistani Military and sworn political rivals like the PML-N and PPP) would sink their differences to ward off the singular threat of Imran Khan.
Imran’s flamboyant contemporary, “Beefy” Ian Botham said, “There was something about Imran that made you want to follow him.” He noted, “Imran was a charismatic leader — when he believed, the team believed”. So after getting nearly knocked out (losing three out of the first five matches) and needing to win every match thereafter – Pakistan under Imran defied all odds to win the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
Outsider-to-champion storyline is something that naturally appeals to all sportspeople across countries. Little wonder that Imran was to earn lifelong admiration from captains of other teams like West Indies’ Clive Lloyd, Australia’s Allan Border, New Zealand’s Martin Crowe and countless others who recognised the indomitable spirit and fearless aura of Imran Khan’s leadership. But destiny had charted one of the most unusual and hugely successful post-sports careers for the proud Pathan from Mianwali. Continuing his irrepressible narrative, Imran went on to pursue his pet passion and successfully raised public donations to found the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre. Not willing to rest on his laurels, within a couple of years, the tireless Imran Khan was to float his own political party.
The world watched in awe as the never-say-die Imran persisted with his fabled resilience to defy naysayers yet again by toiling silently on the political sidelines. Imran was regularly mocked and written off as he was in his initial cricketing days, only to make a stunning comeback after nearly 20 years to complete yet another outsider-to-insider arc of triumph! By 2018, Imran Khan was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Even then, there were credible rumours of the Pakistani “establishment” (read, Pakistan Military) having “selected” him (as opposed to “elected”) for the Prime Ministership. But the perennially defiant Imran Khan acted like his own man to the discomfiture of the entitled Pakistani Generals who couldn’t accept that the vainglorious Pathan had refused to kowtow to their diktats. By 2022, the impatient Pakistani Generals had had enough of Imran Khan’s spine and ramrod straight posture and decided to oust him and incarcerate him to cool his heels.
All the while, his buddies and legion of cross-country admirers (some not for his politics, but for his cricketing prowess and leadership on the cricket field) watched in disbelief at yet another “cornered” trajectory of his political career. But perhaps none had imagined that Imran Khan would still be in jail at Adiala Jail, a maximum-security prison, even after more than three years of imprisonment.
He remains the most popular leader in Pakistan even after his party cadre has been coerced, silenced and pummelled to either abandon party positions or abandon politics for good. Ironically, attempts to muzzle Imran Khan have only made him a dangerously big brand that cannot even be killed, as a dead Imran Khan would strip the already discredited Pakistani coalition government of the last vestiges of their credibility and legitimacy. Hence Imran Khan must be kept alive, but only so.
Today, official denials notwithstanding, there is much speculation about Imran Khan’s maltreatment in jail and resultant declining health. At one stage, news of his supposed death surfaced. More recently, news of him losing 85 per cent of his eyesight emerged. Lack of access and public record of his health reports have triggered anger across the world, especially of his cricketing buddies who fondly remember and recognise the fighting spirit of the Pathan, and remain deeply concerned at his fate. In an unprecedented move, 14 former international cricket captains signed a joint letter urging the Pakistani Government to ensure Imran’s humane treatment and medical care, whilst in prison. Despite the freeze besetting the India-Pakistan relations, the list of 14 included illustrious Indians like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.
Importantly, Imran Khan was not exactly transformatory or progressive about India during his prime ministership (Pulwama happened under his watch, amongst other attacks) and became infamous as Taliban Khan. However, in an ostensible democracy like Pakistan, humane treatment ought not to be optional, but foundational. Democracy, like sportsmanship, is not predicated on how it treats allies but its opponents.
Voicing concern on Imran Khan’s health does not amount to defending his politics. Here the real issue is of principles such as human dignity, the rule of law, fair trial, institutional credibility, etc. For rival cricket captains of his time, Imran Khan deserves fair play, and not the unfairly curated rough pitch dealt to him currently, in the ungentlemanly game of politics. After all Imran is justly remembered from his cornered tiger seasons to sunlit overs of glory, bowling and batting through destiny, and leading underdogs to triumph.
Both sports and politics deserve such spirit, rather than the one besetting Pakistan.
The writer is a retired lieutenant-general and a former lieutenant-governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry
