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'They made absolute fools of themselves': Imran Khan's sons break silence on PCB's boycott threat of 2nd Test at Lord's | Cricket News

Cricket News · Deepanjan Mitra · 2026-09-06T14:31:33+00:00 · nguồn gốc

KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Sulaiman and Kasim Khan slammed PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi for threatening to boycott the Lord's Test over an interview about Imran Khan. - Imran's sons called the board's attempt to censor the broadcast "tactless" and said officials made "absolute fools of themselves". - The political interference adds to the ongoing crisis in Pakistan cricket, where off-field drama continues to eclipse Test match performances. Imran Khan's sons finally break their silence on the boycott threat The chaos surrounding the PCB has reached political farce, with former captain Imran Khan’s sons publicly roasting PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi for threatening to boycott the Lord’s Test. What was supposed to be a high-profile Test tour against England has completely unravled into an circus driven by state politics. Reports emerged during the second Test that Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan's Interior Minister, threw a fit over a Sky Sports feature where Michael Atherton interviewed Imran’s sons regarding their father's health in prison. In a desperate attempt to censor the broadcast, board officials allegedly threatened to pull the national team off the field entirely. While captain Babar Azam and former head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed scrambled to deny knowledge of a strike, the public damage was already done. Rather than managing a high-performance cricket setup, Naqvi’s board has used the national team as a political instrument on foreign soil, exposing the PCB’s complete lack of professional governance. MORE: 'Victory vs India …..': Mohammad Yousuf reveals what led to Pakistan cricket's downfall Sulaiman and Kasim Khan torch Mohsin Naqvi over the Lord's Test boycott threat. Speaking out against the board's censorship attempt, Imran Khan’s sons made it clear that Naqvi’s actions only succeeded in humiliating the board on a global stage. "They made absolute fools of themselves," Kasim stated regarding the PCB leadership. Sulaiman expressed equal disbelief at the board's heavy-handed reaction to an interview focused on humanitarian concerns for their father, who remains imprisoned in Adiala Jail while recovering from severe health complications. "I was expecting some sort of response," Sulaiman noted. "But I didn’t think they would be so tactless as to threaten not to take to the field. It shouldn’t be in the remit of the Pakistan Cricket Board to ask for an interview about an ex-Pakistan player, somebody who lived in England for 22 years, to be taken down. This wasn’t about politics but about the humanitarian situation and his health." Mohsin Naqvi's political insecurity is destroying the credibility of Pakistan cricket Using a Test match at Lord's to settle domestic political scores is the ultimate proof that the PCB is being run by political opportunists rather than sports administrators. When a sitting minister uses his authority as chairman to bully broadcasters and threaten boycotts over an interview the game itself becomes completely secondary. The fact that 21 international cricket legends had to step in to demand basic medical care for Imran Khan shows how deeply personal political vendettas have corrupted the sport's administrative framework. While the PCB busies itself seizing players' phones and censoring TV broadcasts, the national team continues to suffer embarrassing defeats on the pitch. Naqvi's tenure as PCB chairman has turned a proud cricket nation into a geopolitical laughingstock. Until political appointees are stripped of their power and replaced by genuine administrators, Pakistan cricket will remain trapped in a self-inflicted nightmare where political ego always trumps athletic performance. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages