GCB hails Khan’s “commitment and expertise”

The Guyana Cricket Board on Tuesday extended condolences to the family and friends of Imran Khan, who served the sport “with high levels of commitment and expertise.”

Khan succumbed to COVID-19 on Tuesday, eight days after he was admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal.

Between 2002 and 2015, Khan served in various capacities, including Media Liaison for Cable and Wireless, Media Manager and Corporate Communications Officer of the then West Indies Cricket Board and Head of Marketing and Communications for Stanford T20 Cricket.

“From all reports, Imran brought high levels of commitment and expertise in the discharge of his duties in these positions and in so doing earned the respect and admiration of both his employers and colleagues,” the GCB said.

The News Room understands that Khan, 43, had no underlying medical conditions and did not take any of the COVID-19 vaccines; he succumbed at around 01:36hrs on Tuesday after going into severe respiratory failure.

“The GCB takes the opportunity to once again urge all eligible persons to be fully vaccinated, as advised by the medical experts, in order to mitigate this deadly pandemic.”

Reports reaching the News Room indicate that Khan, a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), tested positive for the disease on September 14, 2021; on September 20, his wife rushed him to the hospital after he experienced trouble breathing and he was immediately admitted into the COVID-19 ICU.

His wife, Tammy Khan, would later test positive for the disease and she too was admitted in the ICU; the News Room understands that she was discharged on Monday.

It was only on Sunday that Khan posted on social media and thanked everyone for their support and prayers.

“Thank you for all your love, prayers, messages of encouragement and support. I am overwhelmed beyond explanation and I am in excellent spirits…Please be assured that I am fighting and there is no giving up. One Love,” he wrote.

At the time of his death, Khan worked for the APNU+AFC Coalition opposition as the head of their communications unit.

During the APNU+AFC’s time in office from 2015 to 2020, he also sat on several State Boards, including that of the National Communications Network (NCN).