Blue turf shouldn’t be an excuse: Shahbaz
Former captain blasts officials after poor show.
KARACHI:
Former captain Shahbaz Ahmed has blasted the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) after it gave the new surface – blue in colour – as the excuse for the team’s poor show of late.
Pakistan, in their first international assignment on blue turf, finished rock-bottom in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia. Various officials, including the PHF President Qasim Zia and team management officials, cited lack of practice on the new surface as one of the reason for their dismal show.
However, Shahbaz who led Pakistan in their last World Cup triumph in 1994, refused to accept the excuse.
“Don’t forget that we won the 1982 World Cup on natural grass and then we had to play the 1984 Los Angles Games, two years later, on astro-turf,” said Shahbaz. “It was a new surface for the team but we still won gold without much practice. This innovation is just a change in colour and I don’t see any major issues. It shouldn’t be made an excuse for poor performance.
“The PHF is wasting talent with its poor policies and the nation will not forgive them for damaging our national game.”
Published In The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2012.
Former captain Shahbaz Ahmed has blasted the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) after it gave the new surface – blue in colour – as the excuse for the team’s poor show of late.
Pakistan, in their first international assignment on blue turf, finished rock-bottom in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia. Various officials, including the PHF President Qasim Zia and team management officials, cited lack of practice on the new surface as one of the reason for their dismal show.
However, Shahbaz who led Pakistan in their last World Cup triumph in 1994, refused to accept the excuse.
“Don’t forget that we won the 1982 World Cup on natural grass and then we had to play the 1984 Los Angles Games, two years later, on astro-turf,” said Shahbaz. “It was a new surface for the team but we still won gold without much practice. This innovation is just a change in colour and I don’t see any major issues. It shouldn’t be made an excuse for poor performance.
“The PHF is wasting talent with its poor policies and the nation will not forgive them for damaging our national game.”
Published In The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2012.