Pakistan hockey players victimised by critics after the end of Europe Tour
One of the finest hockey gems of Pakistan, former Olympian Samiullah Khan, yesterday in his interview with media, July 19, condemned the performance displayed by the men’s national hockey team during their Europe tour that recently got concluded.
According to the legendary player, the team did not earn success due to the fact that small number of young talent was inducted into the team.
He remarked that the team totally comprised of 80 percent senior players with just 20 percent of young blood in the squad for the month-long-trip.
Samiullah stated, “PHF wasted the golden opportunity to test and groom young talent against the European teams and build them for London Olympics 2012.”
He believed that the team displayed an unimpressive performance there because majority players of the team were veterans.
After winning a Four-nation title in Dublin, Ireland, the team ended last in the Rabo Four-nation that was played in Amstelveen, Netherlands followed by friendly series against Belgium and Holland.
In the first friendly series against Belgium, Greenshirts set the series equal at 1-1 by winning the first match and losing the second one.
However, in the second series against the host team Holland, Pakistan lost the series by 1-0 with a draw and a loss.
Samiullah, who played the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and was a part of the 1982 World Cup winning team, questioned the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) selectors about the benefit they gained for retaining the more than 300 international capped players
in the team.
He advised that the federation should have tested a greater number of youngsters during the tour and recommended, “It should have been 50-50 in senior and youngsters selection which may have paid better dividends.”
He believed that the team lacked in strength at the deep defence, goal-keeping and mid-fielding. Moreover, the team required a couple of energetic and young mid-fielders with a combination of strong strikers in front-line.
However, it is expected that the PHF selection committee picks out players very cautiously, preferring to send more youngsters for the next international assignments in India and Australia.
When asked about how the team will do at the Champions Trophy ahead, Samiullah commented that it will be a very competition-driven tournament with the world’s top six teams facing off in six matches that will be held in nine days.
Meanwhile, the team has begun its preparations today at the training camp at Lahore’s National Hockey Stadium.
The camp is set for the team’s build-up for their next international appearance that is scheduled to be held in Cairo, Egypt from August 6-12.
Currently, the PHF has announced 31 players that will attend the camp for taking part in the five-test series against Egypt.
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