‘Banned trio can play at international events’

PSF official admits ban handed out to squash players a ‘harsh’ one.

KARACHI:

The banned trio of Amir Atlas, Yasir Butt and Waqar Mehboob will still be able to participate in international events since they are members of the Professional Squash Association (PSA), according to the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) Vice President Qamar Zaman.

The PSF had banned Atlas for two years while Butt received a year-long punishment. Mehboob, on the other hand, cannot participate in local events for six months.

The players were punished for their dismal show at the men’s World Team Championship, where Pakistan crashed out during the group stage.

According to Zaman, the ban will not affect the players’ participation in international events since they are members of the PSA, the sport’s governing body. However, the trio will not be given any monetary compensation from the PSF for playing in such events.

“It’s been a tough decision but this shouldn’t stop the players from playing international events,” Zaman told The Express Tribune. “We will not refund their expenses for their participation abroad but they should not be discouraged.”

Zaman admitted that the decision to ban the players was a harsh one.

“It’s harsh. I don’t entirely agree with the decision because we don’t have back-up players. I’d said before that we sent a weak team to the tournament to begin with.”

Meanwhile, one of the banned players has said that the team needed a coach during the tournament instead of a manager, who could have helped them devise strategies.

He said that by banning only three out of the four players that took part in the event, the PSF is sending out wrong signals and it was unfair that the manager was trying to shift his share of the blame on the team.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2011.