Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain are among the most popular commentators in world cricket. Both were part of the commentary panel when England last toured Pakistan in October 2024 for a three-match Test series. Their names are missing from the panel for the next big white-ball series in the country.
The Pakistan Cricket Board announced a six-member commentary panel on Saturday for the men's ODI tri-series featuring Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. The series runs from October 18 to 31. Atherton and Hussain are not on the list, and the board has not explained why.
The absence comes about seven weeks after Atherton interviewed the sons of jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister and World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan for Sky Sports.
The interview was broadcast during the Lord's Test between England and Pakistan, and it drew a strong reaction from the PCB.
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Atherton interviewed Kasim and Sulaiman Khan during the Lord's Test in August 2026. Sky Sports aired the 18-minute segment. It focused on concerns about the health of Imran Khan, the former Pakistan captain, who has been in prison since August 2023.
The sons said they feared for their father's life. They claimed that authorities were "blatantly trying to kill him" through neglect and isolation. The Pakistan government has denied mistreating Imran Khan or blocking his relatives, lawyers and doctors from seeing him.
The PCB strongly objected to the political nature of the broadcast and lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports. The board reportedly considered keeping the Pakistan team off the field for the afternoon session. Sky aired the interview, but state broadcaster PTV did not show it in Pakistan.
Atherton later discussed the issue on a podcast with Hussain and defended his role. News18 reported that he said the Pakistani state was trying to "airbrush Imran almost out of existence."
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The PCB has every right to pick its own commentary panel, but it has handled the situation badly. A routine announcement, made a day before the opener, is now a story about Imran Khan. That is the one subject the board would least want attached to a tri-series it is hosting.
The reasoning for omitting Atherton and Hussain is also hard to defend on cricketing grounds. Bazid Khan is listed for only the first ODI, and Waqar Younis misses it, so the panel has room to rotate voices. Both Englishmen were on the 2024 Test panel. It is also worth remembering who made the broadcast decision.
Sky Sports chose to air the interview despite the PCB's complaint, and talks with the ECB settled the matter that day. Dropping two commentators seven weeks later looks like a penalty after the fact, and it will keep this story alive.
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Deepanjan Mitra is a content writer and editor based in India, with extensive experience working across a variety of sports. He combines a passion for storytelling with an ability to deliver insightful news, analysis, and feature stories and has previously worked for the likes of Sports Illustrated and Essentially Sports.
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