Pakistan Cricket Board slammed for snubbing Imran Khan in Independence Day special video

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been facing flak for ignoring Imran Khan's contributions to the sport in a special video released on Pakistan's Independence Day. The video which paid tribute to some of the biggest match-winners of Pakistan cricket did not have footage of their former captain Imran Khan. Even in the portion of the clip that featured the 1992 World Cup triumph, Pakistan's only 50-over World Cup victory, there was no reference to Imran Khan, the captain of that victorious team.

Apart from being one of the most influential cricketers in Pakistan's cricket history, Imran Khan also served as the Prime Minister of the nation from 2018 to 2022.

The 2-minute video shared by the PCB on August 14, 2023 celebrated the biggest milestone in their sporting history but left out their most influential captain.

Former PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood was among the many who lashed out at PCB for ignoring Imran Khan.

"This video must be withdrawn by the PCB immediately and released again with proper mention of Imran's contribution to Pakistan cricket," Mahmood told Aaj Channel, as quoted by PTI news agency.

"You may have countless differences of opinion with Imran Khan as a politician or what happened during his government tenure when he was the Prime Minister. But that does not mean you can ignore his role in bringing so many laurels to Pakistan as a player and captain," he added.

Notably, Imran Khan was arrested earlier in August after he was sentenced to three years in prison in a corruption case. A district and sessions judge imposed Rs 100,000 fine on Khan, adding that he would be kept in jail for another six months if he failed to pay the fine.

Imran Khan's leadership skills were first recognized in 1982 when he was appointed as the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. He held this position intermittently over three periods: 1982-1983, 1985-1987, and 1989-1992.

As a player, Khan's records are equally impressive. He achieved the all-rounder's triple, securing 3000 runs and 300 wickets in just 75 Tests, making him the second-fastest to reach this milestone. His batting average of 61.86 is the second-highest for a Test batsman playing at position 6 in the batting order.

Khan's career was marked by several notable victories. In 1987, he led Pakistan to its first-ever Test series win in India, followed by a series victory in England the same year. His performance against Sri Lanka in Lahore during the 1981-1982 season, where he took 8 wickets for 58 runs, is considered the best Test bowling of his career.