The former Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan wanted to become the first prime minister in his country’s history to bat through to the close of his five-year term. Instead, his innings has been cut short after less than four years by a no-confidence vote, after a political crisis over economic troubles and simmering inflation. Khan proved a less able head of government than he was a cricketer or, indeed, opposition leader. Yet his skills as the latter mean he could continue to be a political disrupter.
Best known as a sports star and socialite and later for his philanthropy, Khan came to power pledging to fight corruption, reform the political system and build an Islamic welfare state. Embracing a conservative brand of Islam, he promised a move away from a politics dominated by dynasties such as the Bhutto and Sharif families. In that, he failed. He will be succeeded by Shehbaz Sharif, brother of the three-term former prime minister, Nawaz.
Khan did deliver some of what he promised, issuing cards that allowed many Pakistanis to obtain health insurance for the first time. But, after leveraging his sporting popularity to move into politics, he struggled to satisfy expectations he had aroused, lacking the management skills to run a poor country of 220m people.