The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) contacted the Foreign Office on the first day of the second Test at Lord's, seeking diplomatic help due to fears that the Pakistan cricket team might not return to the field after lunch. These concerns arose from potential outrage over a Sky Sports interview with the sons of imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Daily Mail Sport understands that ECB chief executive Richard Gould spoke with officials to request assistance in case the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) followed through on a reported threat to delay the match's restart. Pakistani disquiet had begun to surface before the lunch interval once details of Sky's planned interview with Suleiman and Kasim Khan, filmed on Wednesday, became apparent.
Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to a World Cup victory in 1992 and served as prime minister from 2018, has been imprisoned for three years on corruption charges. His supporters contend these charges are politically motivated. His sons expressed fears for their father's life during the interview.
Momentary fears of a disruption echoed the 2006 Oval Test incident, where Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq led his team off the field over ball-tampering allegations. However, in this instance, Sky Sports reportedly delayed the broadcast of the 18-minute interview until the latter half of the lunch interval. By the time the interview was aired, Pakistani agitation had reportedly subsided, and the players were prepared to resume the match.
The interview was subsequently replaced by advertisements on Pakistani television channels, which were carrying the Sky Sports feed for the game. The PCB has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.