New Delhi, Aug. 31 -- Michael Atherton probably knew he was opening a sensitive door when he sat down with Imran Khan's sons, Sulaiman and Kasim, at Lord's. What he may not have anticipated was the political storm that the 18-minute Sky Sports interview would unleash. The sons alleged that their father was being kept in extreme isolation, that his health was deteriorating and, most alarmingly, that the authorities were "blatantly trying to kill him".

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reacted with such intensity that it reportedly considered preventing its team from returning to the field after lunch and subsequently lodged a formal complaint with Sky. The players eventually resumed the Test against England.

The disproportionate reaction ...