Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel to help Pakistan win hockey games
Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel, costing Euro 10,000 per month, has stepped in Pakistan and has joined the team in a training camp but still is not clear about his role.
Newly appointed Pakistan hockey coach who reached Karachi on Monday to supervise the training said that he has not yet discussed several issues related to his role with the administrators and selection is also one of those matters that he will discuss with Pakistan Hockey Federation.
“There are several things which I need to discuss with the PHF and who will select the team is surely one of them. It is a good question, who will select the team,” said the national coach Heuvel.
Interference of selection committee in coach’s affairs is common in a country like Pakistan. Selection committee has been ruling the roost since its inception and recently it axed five senior players from the Azlan Shah Cup squad reason being their poor form. When asked whether he would be bothered by interference from the national selection committee as none of the qualified coaches accepted interference of anybody in selection affairs, Heuvel refused to divulge the matter.
Dutch man’s response to the issue of selection raises two questions. A professional hockey coach discusses all the terms and conditions in detail before joining the team and never compromises on selection matters. But Heuvel’s credibility seems to be dubious as he is still planning to discuss such a vital issue with PHF administration.
The second one and the most alarming one is that if he is really serious about his job and betterment of plunging Pakistan Hockey then he would never accept any intervention in the selection matters, then he for sure is on a collision course with the reigning selection committee.
Hanif Khanh, Chief selector of Pakistan Hockey, has already laid down the gauntlet and says if the Dutch man does not allow the selection committee to play its part, then either he would leave or the new coach would have to quit.
“I had said very clearly when PHF was trying to hire (Paul) Lissek and would once again say that if any foreign coach refuses to accept existence of selection committee, than either I will quit or the coach will have to pack up and leave,” said the chief selector while talking to media reporters.
The former Olympian however, said he would welcome the input of manager and coach before announcing the squads for future tournaments, but he would never let Heuvel impose his decision or disregard the selection committee.
He said that he has revealed it explicitly that it is the selection committee and not the coach who will pick and announce the team. If the Dutchman does not accept the selection committee, then let time decide who leaves his position.
The existing situation has certainly put the newly appointed coach in a Catch-22 as if he lets the selection committee intervene into his job, he will indeed put a big question mark on his credibility and if he says no to budge, he will surely face a confrontation with the selectors.
Politically administered Pakistan Hockey has seen impressive Dutch coach-come-physical instructor Wouter Tazelaar failing to make any impact on the poor performance of players. And the reason behind was political interference and intervention of selection committee in selection affairs.
The Dutchman, who has been hired to cope with the physical fitness and technique mythology of the under-performing green shirts, said that he does not expect the team to win before London Olympics in 2012, a tournament after which his tenure with the Pakistan squad ends.
“My target is to see Pakistan win and it’s not the Asian Games but in London that I expect them to win, although at the Games there will be no European squads,” said the foreign coach without explaining his plan of transforming a last finished team at the World Cup into champs in just 24 months.
Green Shirts are practicing for next month’s Europe tour where they will play matches in Spain and the Holland from July 7-26. Penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas did not report in the training camp and the new coach did not even seem to be bothered by his absence. Manzoor Hussain, the team manager, was also not aware of his whereabouts. This shows the responsible attitude of Pakistan Hockey Federation and the new coach and there earnestness for reviving the national game.
Tags: