One Imran Khan interview, plus a reported threat to boycott the Test series against England, minus any briefing to the head coach or players. The sum is familiar: classic Pakistan cricket – unpredictable at every stage. So far in the three-Test series, Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has already had to sit through two uncomfortable press conferences in England. First, Sarfaraz confirmed Babar Azam would miss the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds. Second, the head coach faced a barrage of tough questions from reporters after Joe Root‘s England outplayed the visitors in all departments on the second day of the Lord’s Test.
With Babar-led Pakistan folding for 110 and England taking a handsome 261-run lead on the second day, Sarfaraz ducked half a dozen sharp questions on the batting no-show, England’s impressive bowling, and youngster Call to prayer holding the fort for a crestfallen side. While all Pakistani journalists kept pressing Sarfaraz on the horror show of the visitors at Lord’s, one English reporter cut to the PCB boycott question – the elephant in the room.
“I don’t know anything. I’m just focusing on the match,” Sarfaraz said after the reporter filled him in on talks between the ECB and PCB over the Sky interview with Imran’s sons. “You’re talking about the interview? We don’t know about the interview,” he clarified. According to the former Pakistan skipper, all is well in the dressing room. “All are OK. We were having lunch at that time,” Sarfaraz responded when asked if there had been any suggestion that Pakistan would not take the field at Lord’s after the Imran family interview.
Imran, Pakistan’s World Cup-winning captain, has been in prison since 2023 over corruption charges. Sky Sports aired the interview with Suleiman and Kasim Khan, the sons of former Pakistan prime minister, during lunch on day 1 of the 2nd Test. According to multiple reports, the PCB threatened to cancel the Lord’s Test and the rest of the three-match tour if the interview went ahead. However, the interview was broadcast in the UK, and Pakistani players returned to the field following the routine break. In the lead-up to the interview, Sky received a complaint about its broadcast plans; the ECB also sought government advice amid tensions over the explosive scoop.
Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed says his team knew nothing about the PCB’s reported threat to walk off at Lord’s over interview with Imran Khan’s sons.
“You’re talking about the interview? We don’t know about the interview.”#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/Gle2awj9D7
— Siddharth Thakur (@fvosid) August 29, 2026
With pictures supplied by Sky, PTV is broadcasting the Test live in Pakistan as it nears its conclusion. The official broadcaster, however, chose not to air the interview and ran commercials instead. Members of the Pakistan team were seen watching the interview during Lunch on the opening day at Lord’s.
Yesterday, the first three questions were identical, prompting Sarfaraz to give similar answers about Pakistan’s abysmal batting performance. Sources close to the development also suggest Pakistani journalists will not ask questions about Imran or the interview for the remainder of the series. The visiting reporters followed suit in Leeds (Headingley) and London (Lord’s), with no mention of the legendary Pakistani all-rounder.
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