Karachi: Pakistan men’s hockey head coach Tahir Zaman has refused to travel to Dhaka for a three-match series, claiming interference by the PHF in selection matters.
The squad left Sunday without the celebrated former Olympian, who did not approve of the last-minute selection of a player in the squad.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Rana Mujahid confirmed the development, saying the matter will be resolved as Tahir and the national federation had the best interest of the country’s hockey.
“Tahir had taken the stand that latecomers to the training camp in Islamabad should not be included in the national squad,” he said.
“Tahir objected to the inclusion of Rana Wahid and Hammad Anjum both of whom joined the camp late due to their contract with foreign leagues,” Mujahid said.
Rana said Tahir decided at the last moment not to accompany the side to Dhaka, where the international hockey federation (FIH) has scheduled a three-match series to allow Pakistan to have a shot at the World Cup qualifiers.
The series has been arranged since Pakistan didn’t send its team to India for the Asia Cup in August-September, which served as a qualifier for the World Cup.
A source close to Tahir said that the Olympian was clear that unless players are aware that the head coach has the final say, there is no way the team can show improvement.
Rana, however, claimed that because of prior commitments, at least 10 players joined the camp late and the PHF had agreed to impose cash penalties on them.
The PHF secretary added that team manager Mohammad Usman will also handle the responsibilities of the head coach in Bangladesh.
Rana added that if the matter with Tahir doesn’t get resolved, the federation will try to hire foreign coaches.
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