On the first day of the second Test match at Lord’s, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) contacted the Foreign Office amid concerns that the Pakistan cricket team might not return to the field after the lunch break. These worries arose following a televised interview broadcast by Sky Sports featuring Suleiman and Kasim Khan, the sons of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned.

The interview, conducted by Mike Atherton, highlighted the sons' fears for their father’s wellbeing. Imran Khan, aged 73, has been serving a prison sentence for the past three years. Following the broadcast, reports indicated that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) threatened to delay the resumption of play in protest against the interview.

In response to the situation, ECB chief executive Richard Gould reportedly reached out to officials at the UK Foreign Office seeking diplomatic support to manage the potential standoff. The exact nature of the intervention sought by the ECB is not fully detailed, but it was aimed at ensuring the match could continue as scheduled.

No official statement has been issued by the PCB regarding the threat to delay the game, and representatives of the Pakistan team have not publicly confirmed any protest action linked to the interview. The ECB’s move to involve the Foreign Office underscores the sensitive intersection of sport and political issues in this instance.

The Test match at Lord’s is part of a broader international cricket calendar, and this incident reflects ongoing tensions surrounding Imran Khan’s imprisonment and related political developments in Pakistan. The situation highlights the challenges faced by cricket authorities when off-field matters have the potential to impact on-field proceedings.