Abbas, Akbar back in national squad

Former captains Butt and Ashraf face bleak hockey future as probables named.

KARACHI/LAHORE:

The Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) selection committee has omitted former captains Zeeshan Ashraf and Rehan Butt but handed a recall to Sohail Abbas and Salman Akbar while naming 25 probables for the tour of Australia as well as the Champions Trophy.

Chief selector Hanif Khan announced the list of players who will be attending the pre-tour training camp in Islamabad from October 1.

Butt was dropped from the squad after the tour of Europe on disciplinary grounds tour while Asian Games gold-medal winning captain Ashraf was under a self-imposed exile by showing his unavailability from events other than major assignments.

“We’re not happy with Butt’s performance,” said Khan. “The young strikers performed well in his absence and we didn’t feel we should select him after looking at their performance. Ashraf, meanwhile, has been out of action for a long time and we have no updates on him.”

Butt, however, disagreed with Khan’s views.

“I don’t know if my omission can help Pakistan hockey but if it does, then I accept the decision,” Butt told The Express Tribune. “My fitness is up to the mark and I will continue to play hockey to regain the faith of the selectors.”

Meanwhile, the chief selector admitted that the decision to drop Abbas and Akbar backfired at the Asian Champions Trophy where Pakistan lost to India in the final.

“We missed them in the event and we feel that the team needs these two for the tougher tasks that lay ahead.”

Meanwhile, the PHF executive board met on Friday night to take a stern decision over the performance.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2011.