Twenty-one former international cricket captains from nine cricketing nations have renewed their appeal to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the government to ensure proper medical treatment and welfare for the country's 1992 World Cup-winning captain and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, following developments this week that they say fall short of a Supreme Court directive.

The letter — a follow-up to one sent in February by 14 former captains — was prompted by events surrounding a Supreme Court order directing that Khan be transferred to a hospital for examination by a medical board, including his own physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan, while also reinstating weekly family visits. However, Khan's hospital stay lasted only a few hours on Friday. He was examined by a state-appointed medical team rather than the board the Court had directed, declared "medically fit," and then taken back to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail before that board could complete its work — a sequence his family and legal team say does not meet what the Court ordered.

Initiated by Greg Chappell, the former Australia captain and former India coach, the appeal was this time signed by 21 renowned international cricketers — seven more than the original group that wrote in February. Among the signatories are India's Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar, alongside Allan Border, Ian Chappell, Mike Gatting, Arjuna Ranatunga, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Clive Lloyd, among others.

The 73-year-old Imran Khan has been in custody for more than three years following his tenure as Pakistan's Prime Minister and is reportedly facing severe health issues, including a reported loss of vision in his right eye. The former cricketers note that the February appeal received no response from the Pakistan government.

In their letter, titled "Appeal by 21 Former International Cricket Captains on the Medical Treatment and Welfare of Imran Khan," the signatories wrote: "Dear Prime Minister, six months ago, fourteen former international cricket captains wrote to you and the Pakistani government appealing for humane treatment and proper medical care for Imran Khan. We wrote then not as politicians, but as former colleagues and rivals who share a bond forged on the cricket field — one that transcends the borders and disputes that too often divide countries."

"We write again now — joined by seven further former captains — because of what has reportedly just occurred," the letter continued. "Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to hospital for examination by a medical board that was to include his own personal physicians and his sister, Dr Uzma Khan. The Court also reinstated weekly family visits. These were very welcome steps. Concerningly, Mr Khan's hospital stay lasted only a few hours. He was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the board the Court had directed, declared 'medically fit,' and returned to Adiala Jail before that board could complete its work. His family and legal team say this falls short of what the court ordered."

The letter makes three specific requests:

First, that the medical board directed by the Supreme Court — including Khan's own doctors — be permitted to complete a full and independent assessment of his health, particularly the reported loss of vision in his right eye. Second, that the weekly family visits reinstated by the Court be honoured without interruption or administrative delay. Third, that whatever the outcome of the medical assessment, the treatment recommended by it be provided without delay.

"We're not asking Pakistan for anything unusual — just that a court order most countries would take for granted is actually carried out," said Greg Chappell, who took the initiative for the appeal.

The signatories were careful to note they do not seek to adjudicate Pakistan's domestic legal processes. "We do not presume to adjudicate Pakistan's domestic legal processes. That is not our place, and it was not the spirit in which we wrote in February," the letter stated. "But we do ask, again, respectfully... Imran Khan is 73 years old and has now spent more than three years in custody. Whatever the legal and political arguments surrounding his case, the basic decency of ensuring a court-ordered medical process is actually completed is not, in our view, a controversial request. It is one we believe every nation that plays this game would recognise as fair. We hope this matter can be resolved expeditiously and with the dignity Mr Imran Khan deserves. Yours in cricket."

The 21 signatories to the appeal are: Michael Atherton, Alex Blackwell, Allan Border, Michael Brearley, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Belinda Clark, Alastair Cook, Michael Gatting, Sunil Gavaskar, Lee Germon, Adam Gilchrist, David Gower, Kim Hughes, Nasser Hussain, Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev Nikhanj, Arjuna Ranatunga, Andrew Strauss, Dilip Vengsarkar, Stephen Waugh and John Wright.