Pages

Search This Blog

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Wasim, Akhtar pull out of Azlan Shan


by Ubaid-ur-Rehman Awan

KARACHI: The training camp of Pakistan’s hockey team for the upcoming Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament hasn’t started as yet but chaos has started to take grip as after skipper Zeeshan Ashraf withdrew his name from the tournament, two more senior players have pulled out of the tournament.

Sources in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) told The Sports Encounter Tuesday that Wasim Ahmed and Akhtar Ali have requested the PHF not to consider their names for the selection as they want to take rest.

The hockey camp is starting from April 22 in Karachi. The positive news came a couple of days earlier when Zeeshan Ashraf came out of his retirement but at the same time he pulled out of the Azlan Shah tournament, after which, former captain Wasim Akhtar and Akhtar Ali also followed the suit.

Sources told TSE that two more senior players, former captain Rehan Butt and penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas have also been told by the PHF top authorities to take rest, following which, their inclusion in the Azlan Shah team is highly unlikely.

PHF names 33 probables for Azlan Shah Cup camp


by Ubaid-ur-Rehman Awan

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) newly installed selection headed by Olympian Hanif Khan Sunday named 33 probables to attend a short a training camp ahead of next months Azlan Shah Cup staged in Ipoh (Malaysia).

Except for goalkeeper Salman Akbar, all the players of Pakistan team which finished at the bottom in 12-nation competition in the World Cup held in New Delhi has been called to the training camp.

The training camp will commence at Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium from April 22 and Azlan Shah Cup begins in Malaysia from May 7.

Camp probables were named by selection committee chief Hanif Khan. Other members of the committee Olympian Muhammad Usman, Mussidiq Hussain and Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry were also present on the occasion.

Hanif Khan said team was picked on the basis of performances in the National championship.

Former Olympic half-back Khawaja Junaid has been named as manager cum chief coach of the Pakistan team in place of sacked Olympian Shahid Ali Khan.

The list of probables include goal keepers: Nasir Ahmed, Imran Shah, Imran Butt; full backs: Zeeshan Ashraf, Sohail Abbas, Muhammad Imran, Wasif Siddiqui, Kashif Ali, Muhammad Ateeq; half-backs: Waseem Ahmed, Muhammad Irfan, Fareed Ahmed, M Rashid, Sajjad Anwar, M Tauseeq, Aamir Shehzad, Usman Tariq, Zaheer Ahmed, Zeeshan Ali; forwards: Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Akhtar Ali, M Zubair, Haseem Khan, M Rizwan, Umer Bhutta, Waqas Sharif, Shafqat Rasool, M Bilal, Aqeel Hussain, Shehbaz Ali, Kashif Ali, and Abdul Qayyum.

Commenting on the list of probables, Secretary PHF, Asif Bajwa appreciated Selection Committee headed by Hanif Khan saying, “It is difficult to take a decision to select a player who has never have participated in the senior camp before. I see some players in the probables list who never appeared in the camp before so it shows that they (Selection Committee) have watched and observed National Hockey Championship closely to select these players”.

He was talking to The Financial Daily at Hockey Club of Pakistan here Sudnay.

“It is the prerogative of the selection committee to retain experienced players or not and since they have retained World Cup players so it is their decision. They have done what they thought better for the team,” Bajwa said.

He said that the format of the National Hockey Championship was excellent as it gives maximum exposure to all of the teams.

“Each team played nine matches during the tournament which gave them experience. In other formats a team would play three or four matches and would find a place in the final. So this format gives them more matches to play and therefore it is beneficial for the players,” Asif said.

He further said that Azlan Shah Cup, starting 6th May in Ipoh, Malaysia would give the team chance to point their weaknesses out ahead of Asian Games, to be held from 27th November in Guangzhou, China



Pakistan to train Chinese cricketers



by Ubaid-ur-Rehman Awan

KARACHI: Six Chinese cricketers arrived in Pakistan Tuesday to get training and coaching for the preparation of Asian Games to be played in Guangzhou, China in November.

The Chinese cricketers include ZhangYu Fei (captain), Jiang Shu Yao (batsman), Sun Duo, Ling Jian (all-rounders) and Zhao Goo Sheng (wicket-keeper).

The Chinese cricketers include ZhangYu Fei (captain), Jiang Shu Yao (batsman), Sun Duo, Ling Jian (all-rounders) and Zhao Goo Sheng (wicket-keeper).

While talking to Xinhua, Director General of Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Ambassador to China, Javed Miandad said that the aim of hosting Chinese cricketers was to jack up their cricketing abilities and raise their level of the game, so that they could help their mates for the upcoming cricket assignments for China.


While commenting on the possibilities of PCB using China as Pakistan’s second home for hosting matches, Javed Miandad opined that grounds in China are not up to the mark of hosting any international matches at present, but they are working on it and are hosting Asian Games this November after which everybody would come to realise their real potential. “Pakistan should play in China, but not before upgrading their grounds.

He went on to say that he was surprised to see cricketing talent in China and they had good piece of knowledge about him. Pakistan Cricket Board is giving all out support to China for the uplift of the game there. “I was astonished to see that whatever I taught them a year ago, they have mastered it”, Miandad said.

“China will take time to get up to the level of playing with top international teams, but right now they are giving good competition to the ICC’s associated members”, Miandad concluded.

Rashid Khan, former Pakistan paceman and coach of National Chinese team is giving training and coaching to Chinese cricketers.

Rashid told Xinhua that he along with the Chinese cricketers are thankful to the PCB for their support and inviting them to train in Karachi.

“On my request, leg spinner Danish Kaneria, Jalaluddin and former wicket keeper Rashid Latif will also give training to the Chinese players”, he said.

After the training and coaching session in Pakistan, Chinese cricketers will participate in cricket tournament organised by Pakistani community in Hong Kong in late May, he said.

They will also take part in three nation tournament in Korea where China will be accompanied by host Korea and Japan, Rashid added.

China will make international debut during Asian Games in November.

Pakistan, Spain to play 3-match hockey series in July


by Ubaid-ur-Rehman Awan

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has finalised a three-match hockey series with Spain, which would be played in July this year in Spain. Besides, efforts are afoot to arrange such hockey series with Germany and Holland as well, which would give Pakistan good enough preparation for the Asian Games, said Secretary PHF, Asif Bajwa while talking exclusively to News One TV at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Sunday.

Asif Bajwa said that Pakistan and India would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in May for a bilateral hockey series, after which, both hockey boards would finalise the arrangements in this regard. Besides the hockey boards of the two countries, their national Olympic committees and sports ministries also are in the favour of reviving bilateral hockey series.

“Pakistan would play a hockey series against India this year, for sure, but one can’t tell now whether it would be played in Pakistan or at a neutral venue”, Bajwa said.

Pakistan would take part in the Indoor Hockey Asia Cup for the first time and the Federation is considering holding national-level indoor tournament for preparation of the tournament, he stated.

Bajwa further said that the PHF would bid for hosting the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy so as to invite international hockey teams to play in Pakistan.

Asif Bajwa told that the reasons behind downfall of the national game are deep-rooted and this is the need of the hour that the real culprits behind the downfall are unearthed.


“Nobody worked for the betterment of hockey in Pakistan in the past, school hockey breathed its last, and club hockey was also lagging far behind; however, the current PHF regime is working with dedication to bring back the days of glory back to Pakistan and I hope the results would be visible in the next three to four years”, Bajwa mentioned.

Refuting the media speculations about transfer of funds worth Rs500 million in the PHF, the PHF Secretary said, “No, there is no truth in the news regarding transfer of that bigger quantum. The PHF received only Rs220 million funds and now it has Rs60 million in its account”. He added, “Last year, the PHF’s budget was Rs80 million, while it is now to the tune of Rs90 million. One can’t understand that despite having such a huge budget, there were no hockey activities in or out of the country before. Then in the past, coaches, players and associated staff were not paid salaries and instead they were involved in the PHF matters on an honorary basis, but we came here with a mission and provided them with the salaries. Now the budget of the Federation is very much the same, but you can see a lot more domestic tournaments being played”.

We offered the players central contracts, and are spending millions of rupees on restructuring the national academies, he added.

Bajwa went on to say that apart from the performance in the World Cup, the general performance of the Men in Green was quite satisfactory as it played finals of three out of four tournaments it played, while the junior team won three out of four tournaments it took part in.

“For the Youth Olympic, we are left with no option but to prepare a whole new team because 11 players have passed the age limit”, he said.

Bajwa made it clear that the PHF stopped departments from having players of over 30 years age because it wanted to block the way of those players who were not only playing in the national fold but were also blocking the way for the junior players.

While commenting on the breaches of code of conduct in the recently concluded 57th NBP National Hockey Championship, Asif Bajwa said that such incidents took place in the past also where players like Hanif Khan, Naveed Alam and Kalimullah were involved in untoward incidents and no action was taken whatsoever against anybody. However, this time around, the PHF made sure the culprits are dealt with as per the Federation’s rules and no compromise on discipline would be made in future as well, Bajwa made it clear.