Pinning our hopes on Toba: Snooker officials

Former Pakistan number one Sajjad overlooked for World Championships.

KARACHI: Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) President Alamgir Sheikh has ‘given up’ on former Asian number two Muhammad Sajjad and opted to partner Asif Toba with Imran Shahzad for the International Billiards and Snooker Federation World Championship in India, despite their poor record overseas.

According to Sheikh, former Pakistan number one Sajjad has been successful in international tournaments but his ranking in domestic events has slumped. Shahzad’s qualification came courtesy his good show in domestic events and the executive committee also decided to add Toba’s name, with hopes of the duo reaching at least the quarter-finals of the tournament that features 49 countries.

“We had considered Sajjad but we’ve given him too many chances,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “Sajjad does well overseas but we just can’t send him to the world championship based on that. It’s unfair to the others. I also believe that he’s not improving at all. We’ve given him too many chances and this stops now.

“Now, we’re pinning our hopes on Toba as the best upcoming cueist and we have faith in Shahzad.”

Sheikh added that Shahzad has experience and the PBSA will have a chance to see if Toba has the required nerves for international matches. Meanwhile, Shahzad said that although his run at international events had not been as successful as Sajjad’s, he believes that luck has a big role to play.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th,  2011.