Pakistan hockey squad quits, officials sacked after World Cup debacle

Pakistan hockey plunged into a major crisis as the entire team announced retirement from international hockey soon after the national federation sacked the team officials and dissolved the selection committee following the four times champions' worst-ever World Cup finish.

Hours after Pakistan finished their World Cup campaign at New Delhi's Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium with the wooden spoon following a 2-3 loss to Canada in the play-off for the 11th-12th places, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) dissolved the team management and the selection committee.

Stung by the players' knee-jerk reaction, PHF president Qasim Zia in a late night reaction termed the players' decision as emotional and hoped they would reconsider it.

"It's an emotional decision. But I'm hopeful that the boys will reconsider their decision after returning home," said Zia.

A PHF statement earlier in the evening said: "Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Qasim Zia has dissolved the team management and National Selection Committee after the poor performance of the team in World Cup."

Team management given the sack included manager Asif Bajwa, coach Shahid Ali Khan and assistant coach Shafqat Malik, while selection committee included chief selector Hassan Sardar, Rana Mujahid Ali, Khalid Bashir, Farhat Khan and Muhammad Shafiq.

Qasim said after the team returns home, the PHF will call its executive board meeting and will hold an inquiry for the poor performance in the world cup. He also clarified that Bajwa will remain PHF secretary.

Soon on hearing of the PHF statement, the entire squad issued a statement through their media manager Shahzad Malik stating that the players were retiring from international hockey owning moral responsibility for their poor performance here.

"The Pakistan hockey team has announced its retirement from the international hockey after their poor performance in the World Cup," the statement read.

Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf was quoted in the statement as saying that "all the eighteen players accepted the defeat in the event and decided to retire from international hockey."

Ashraf praised the PHF for doing a lot for the players, but regretted they could not play to their potential.

"We will support the PHF in future and will be available if Pakistan needs any player any time," the statement said.

The 18 players who announced retirement are: Nasir Ahmad and Salman Akbar (goalkeepers), Zeeshan Ashraf, Sohail Abbas and Muhammad Rashid (defenders), Muhammad Irfan, Waseem Ahmad, Muhammad Imran, Fareed Ahmad and Sajjad Anwar (midfielders), Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Abdul Haseem Khan, Muhammad Zubair, Akhtar Ali, Omer Bhutta, Abbas Haider and Muhammad Rizwan (forwards).

Former Pakistan hockey greats, meanwhile, launched scathing criticism of the PHF for the World Cup debacle. Islahuddin Siddiqui, former Pakistan captain, said the PHF should sack Bajwa as secretary as he is responsible for the team's poor showing.

Akhtar-ul-Islam, another Olympian and former PHF secretary, agreed with Islah and said all the culprits responsible for the "embarrassing show" should be punished.

Another former Pakistan captain Muhammad Saqlain said the PHF has let Pakistan down and should be dissolved to allow a new management to rebuild the national team.

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