ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan hockey captain and legend Shahbaz Senior criticized the working of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and blamed them for the worst-ever decline of hockey in country.
Talking to TheNation exclusively on Thursday, Shahbaz said that the present set up of PHF was busy in promoting the politics not the game. "Since the arrival of Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa the national game had gone from bad to worse and even their so-called hero Dutch coach also refused to work with them and left the team just months before the Olympics due to their political attitudes."
“The refusal of Indian hockey team to visit Pakistan was another blunder of the present set up, as Indian Hockey Federation (FIH) had never confirmed their visit, with one condition if their government allowed them then they were ready to travel to Pakistan. Asif Bajwa announced the three-nation tournament without getting the final approval from India or even Malaysia,” he added.
Shahbaz was of the view that the PHF should realize that there were no cricketing ties between the arch-rivals while our cricketers were also deprived taking part in IPL, so how could they send their hockey team under these circumstances.
The 10-time world's best hockey player of the year and 1994 World Cup winning captain Shahbaz has lauded the world hockey series recently held in India and said that Pakistani players participated in the event got financial as well as advertisement benefits and they took right decision by participating in the WSH even though it was not recognised by the FIH. Shahbaz claimed that Pakistani players participated in world hockey series with the prior permission of the PHF. "I can bet all these players would also play in the Olympics," he asserted.
The living legend was of view that the PHF making statements against these players just to please the FIH. "After issuing them (players) the warning notices, the hockey federation would induct these players in the team for the Olympics 2012," he maintained.
The former captain also came hard on the recent appointment of Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool as a head coach of the team. "Rasool was convicted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for attack on the Supreme Court so he is not eligible for any post, he said and asked: “What kind of impression a convicted guy would make on the players.”