Cricket
1971 — 1992
The Sporting Legend
Debuting for Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1971, he became the premier all-rounder of his generation — captaining the 'Cornered Tigers' to Pakistan's first Cricket World Cup victory in Melbourne, 1992.
Cricketer • Philanthropist • Statesman
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi
A life spanning the cricket grounds of Lahore, the halls of Keble College, the wards of a cancer hospital, and the office of a Prime Minister — told in eras, and open to your questions.
Test Wickets362
Test Runs3,807
World Cup1992
Prime Minister19th
The Chronicle
Three lives, one legacy.
Philanthropy
1994 — 2015
The Great Builder
In memory of his mother, he founded Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital — Pakistan's first specialised cancer hospital — followed by Namal University. Service replaced sport as his defining pursuit.
Politics
1996 — 2022
The Statesman
Founding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in 1996, he waged a twenty-two year political campaign. In August 2018 he was sworn in as the 19th Prime Minister of Pakistan, launching the country's largest welfare programme during the pandemic.
A Timeline
Milestones.
1952
Born 5 October in Lahore, Punjab.
1975
Graduates in PPE from Keble College, Oxford.
1982
Appointed captain of the Pakistan cricket team.
1992
Lifts the Cricket World Cup at the MCG.
1994
Opens Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.
1996
Founds Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
2009
Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
2018
Sworn in as 19th Prime Minister of Pakistan.
2022
Removed via a no-confidence motion in April.
2023
Arrested; imprisonment proceedings begin.
“It is not defeat that destroys you, it is being demoralised by defeat that destroys you.”— Imran Khan
In His Own Words
Pakistan: A Personal History
Bantam Press, 2011
Born only five years after Pakistan was created in 1947, Imran Khan has lived his country's history. Recounting that history through the prism of his own memories, he begins with Partition and guides the reader through the wars of 1965 and 1971, the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the fallout from 9/11.
Drawing on the experiences of his own family and his travels across the country, the book weaves his personal life — a happy childhood in Lahore, Oxford, his cricketing career, his marriage to Jemima Goldsmith, his mother's influence and his Islamic faith — into the wider national narrative. It is an insider's view of a country he believes is largely misunderstood by the West.
Dedicated to Sulaiman, Kasim, and the youth of Pakistan.
Contents
- PrologueA Coalition of the Crooked, November 2007
- OneCan I Still Play Cricket in Heaven? 1947–1979
- TwoRevolution, 1979–1987
- ThreeDeath, and Pakistan's Spiritual Life, 1987–1989
- FourOur Failed Democracy, 1988–1993
- Five'Angels in Disguise': Building a Hospital, 1984–1995
- SixMy Marriage, 1995–2004
- SevenThe General, 1999–2001
- EightPakistan Since 9/11
- NineThe Tribal Areas: Civil War? My Solution
- TenRediscovering Iqbal: Pakistan's Symbol and a Template for Our Future
Interactive
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An AI guide trained on his life story sits in the corner of every page — ready to walk you through the 1992 final, the founding of PTI, or the events of April 2022.