Clemency for Imran Khan

 Imran Khan still hangs on, hasn't hung up his boots yet. News from Pakistan is the former famous cricketer-cum-playboy turned politician is seriously ill in prison fighting for his life and on the verge of losing eyesight, at least in one eye. His sad and precarious condition has prompted many prominent ex-cricketers raise "May Day" which includes well known ex-cricketers and Imran's contemporaries Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards, Kapil Dev, Clive Lloyd and Chappell brothers requesting Pakistan's government for urgent clemency.

Imran Khan had a highly successful career as a Cricket player. As the cricket captain of Pakistan he desired to defeat England in England and India in India - both countries he loved to hate, though In his book "All Round View" Imran Khan wrote that in the 1982–83 season, Mohinder was quite simply the best batsman in the world. He got both his wishes fulfilled by defeating India in India in the spring of 1987 and later England in England in summer. Then he went on to win the Cricket World Cup in 1992 after motivating his team when all hope was gone as they were one game shy from elimination. He said he told his players to behave as cornered tigers and the team responded magnificently.
He soon built a Cancer hospital in memory of his mother, first of its kind in the poverty stricken nation of Pakistan.

The ultimate Alpha Male, Imran Khan a playboy of repute bedded a number of lasses, some of them rumored to be Rekha, Moon Moon Sen and notably Zeenat Aman whom he almost married but for the objection from his mother. He produced at least one kid out of wedlock from the six feet American celebrity girl Sita White. He first denied but in the age of DNA test he admitted of fathering the girl child when an US Court summoned him to do a paternity test. Sita White died young at a young age 43, suddenly collapsing before her Yoga class in Los Angeles. Imran was forced to take his daughter into his custody. He married multiple times which included Jemima Goldsmith, his first wife and daughter of a super rich Jewish tycoon - a girl half his age.

Imran Khan had a great eye for talent. Once in 1990 he saw a young Inzamam Ul Haq at the nets and was impressed. He told Akram and Waqar to bowl to him. He also bowled couple of bouncers to Inzamam who successfully pulled them. Imran walked to Rameez Raza and said - "Pakistan got its Vivian Richards".

When Imran Khan joined politics, he was laughed off and expected not to replicate his success on the Cricket field in the murky world of Pakistani politics. A man destined to be the yet again winner all the way, he went on to become the Prime Minister of the country - the ultimate dream of any politician from the Indian subcontinent.

But politics is a different ball game. His dream would soon turn into a nightmare. Allah, Army and America rule the roost in Pakistan. Imran Khan should have realized that, but he made the cardinal mistake of taking on two of the three, i.e. Army and America. Every successful person doesn't necessarily succeed in the murky world of politics. Ask India's Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan who quit politics barely two years after he became a Member of Parliament with a lot of fanfare only to realize that politics wasn't his cup of tea.

Imran Khan is paying the price of taking on the all powerful Pakistani Army establishment, the institution which got full support of America. It ain't happened yet. Though ailing the gritty Pathan won't quit without a fight. I always admire and adore leaders with "never say die" attitude, also famously exemplified by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during the World War II (incidentally both Imran and Churchill weren't great fans of India).

A born fighter, Imran Khan hasn't hung up his boots yet. Like a cornered tiger when he came back from behind against all odds to inspire a talented but maverick Pakistan side to win the 1992 Cricket World Cup, he is still in the game, down but not out. Though fighting an increasingly losing battle, he can take solace from the legendary American baseball player Yogi Berra who famously said - "It ain't over until it's over" ! Good luck all rounder.