Pakistan captain Babar Azam flatly denied claims when asked if the members of his team were planning to boycott the Lord’s Test after broadcaster Sky Sports aired an interview featuring Imran Khan’s sons and Michael Atherton. Multiple news reports claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was unhappy to see Sky airing the interview, despite being asked not to, during the lunch break on Day 1 of the Lord’s Test. The PCB even mulled not sending the team out onto the field for the second session, before reportedly being persuaded by the England board against doing so.
Speaking to the BBC after the conclusion of the Lord’s Test, which Pakistan lost by 194 runs, Babar said that he was unaware of Pakistan mulling a boycott of the Lord’s Test over the broadcast of the interview.
“No, no. I have not heard that thing,” Babar said. When pressed on the topic, he added: “No, I have not heard anything about that.”
Q: Was Pakistan not ready to take the field after Imran Khan’s sons’ interview aired?
Babar Azam: “No, I’ve not heard anything like this.” pic.twitter.com/iYfrheSabY
— Parvezali. (@real_parvezali) August 31, 2026
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed was also asked whether the players had seen the interview of Imran’s sons, Kasim and Suleman, with Mike Atherton. Sarfaraz told reporters at a media conference that the players were having lunch and didn’t watch it.
“No, we don’t know anything about it, we were having lunch,” he said when asked by a reporter about reports that the PCB had threatened not to send the team out after lunch if Sky Sports aired the interview.
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There has been a sudden surge in international media coverage involving cricketers from other countries demanding better healthcare for Imran Khan, who is imprisoned in Adiala Jail.
Former teammate and captain Javed Miandad also made an impassioned plea for the authorities to release Imran, describing him as a very honest person.
A PTI report quoted a PCB source as saying that the board was obviously not happy with the Sky interview, as it was political in nature, but because of a reception for the team on September 2 by Prince Charles and existing diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom, they avoided prolonging the issue and decided to carry on playing the series.
With PTI Inputs