Hockey: Abbas likely to don captain’s arm-band

Butt and Abbasi unlikely to make the cut.

KARACHI: As the fate of former captains Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt hangs in the balance given their involvement in the unsanctioned World Series Hockey (WSH), the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is mulling over the choice of a new captain with world’s leading goal-scorer Sohail Abbas emerging as the top candidate.

Despite the PHF delaying its verdict on the duo after hearing their version, the World Hockey Federation’s stance on WSH is likely to keep the duo away from national commitments, making Abbas the leading contender to take over the captaincy from the snubbed Mohammad Imran for next month’s tri-nation hockey tournament scheduled to take place in Lahore.

“There’s a difference of opinion on Abbas as the new captain,” a PHF official told The Express Tribune. “The selectors want to make him the captain till the Olympics but other officials are not that keen because of Abbas’ behaviour in the past that has seen him skip training camps and tours.

“However, if the WSH matter remains unresolved, Abbas remains the favourite to lead in at least the tri-nation event because there’s no other player with the same amount of experience as him.”

Abbas yet to join training camp

Meanwhile, the drag-flicker, who is recovering from a jaw injury, is yet to join the team’s training camp.

An official of the team management said the experienced player will join the camp on Saturday as he was advised by the doctors to rest.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2012.