The PHF drafted in Kashif Shah and Mohammad Rizwan from the Youth Olympics team that won the silver medal at the event for the tour that will see Pakistan take on Belgium, Poland and Dutch clubs.
“The duo’s inclusion has unbalanced the team, it’s good for the players but wasn’t really necessary for the team,” Ashraf told The Express Tribune. “They’re just 17 and they will learn a lot from their tour but the team won’t benefit from them much. We can’t use them in the Commonwealth Games or in the Asian Games, they haven’t played any league matches or enough domestic tournaments either.”
The full-back suggested the duo should have played Under-21 hockey first because traditionally in Pakistan, if a player does not perform well on one foreign tour, the federation usually sidelines him forever and the talent is then wasted. He also said that it was the first time that junior players broke into the national squad at such an early stage of their career and that if the PHF was sending under-18 players with the seniors, it only showed there is a dearth of quality players.
“I’ve seen Kashif and Rizwan in action. There’s no doubt about their talent but it is about making your place in the team through perseverance and hard work that you put in to get in the national squad.”
Talking about his expectations from the Holland tour, Ashraf said that the team’s fitness will be tested on the tour as the team will play constantly against competitive sides before the Commonwealth Games. He added that team coach Michel van den Heuvel has introduced a rotation plan for the team which will allow each player to rest and play for 10 minutes and give hundred percent on the field.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2010.
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