‘The sport has lost its beauty’
Former player Zaman laments current era’s defensive approach.
Only five per cent players in the world currently play the attacking game, says Pakistani squash legend Qamar Zaman. PHOTO: PPI
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan squash legend Qamar Zaman, known as ‘The Magician’, has said that the standard of the sport is diminishing with the current crop of players becoming increasingly defensive in their approach, adding that majority of the players now avoid going for killer-shots.
“Squash has lost its beauty as the retrieving game has been adopted by a vast majority,” Zaman, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Asian Squash Championship, told The Express Tribune.
“Only five % of the players in the world currently play the attacking game. This is the reason why we don’t see crafty players anymore.”
Zaman said he fears that the nick shot – that used to be a potent weapon for all the top players in the past– will become extinct as the current generation lacks courage to slice the ball in the corners of the court.
Zaman won the British Open in 1975, stunning defending champion Geoff Hunt in the quarter-finals while also ending up runner-up four times in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1984. Zaman also finished second at the World Open four times in 1976, 1979, 1980 and 1984.
The former player added that having seen three different generations of squash players through a 19-year-career, it was easy to evaluate the difference in standards and how the game had evolved over that time.
“The change in rules has also led to the downfall of the standards as earlier, you would have to be serving to win points, but now it’s all about points directly. This has affected the fitness levels of players over the years and that is why we see them struggle when a match is played for a lengthy duration.”
He stressed that until and unless players spent four to five hours in training daily, they will not be able to improve their hand work, accuracy and fitness.
Zaman reiterated that the current crop of Pakistan players has the potential of becoming the best in the world. “We still have the best raw talent in the world but they are struggling to match our record because they are not fit enough. Once they can get their fitness levels up to the required standard, they’ll become an unstoppable force.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2013.
Pakistan squash legend Qamar Zaman, known as ‘The Magician’, has said that the standard of the sport is diminishing with the current crop of players becoming increasingly defensive in their approach, adding that majority of the players now avoid going for killer-shots.
“Squash has lost its beauty as the retrieving game has been adopted by a vast majority,” Zaman, speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Asian Squash Championship, told The Express Tribune.
“Only five % of the players in the world currently play the attacking game. This is the reason why we don’t see crafty players anymore.”
Zaman said he fears that the nick shot – that used to be a potent weapon for all the top players in the past– will become extinct as the current generation lacks courage to slice the ball in the corners of the court.
Zaman won the British Open in 1975, stunning defending champion Geoff Hunt in the quarter-finals while also ending up runner-up four times in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1984. Zaman also finished second at the World Open four times in 1976, 1979, 1980 and 1984.
The former player added that having seen three different generations of squash players through a 19-year-career, it was easy to evaluate the difference in standards and how the game had evolved over that time.
“The change in rules has also led to the downfall of the standards as earlier, you would have to be serving to win points, but now it’s all about points directly. This has affected the fitness levels of players over the years and that is why we see them struggle when a match is played for a lengthy duration.”
He stressed that until and unless players spent four to five hours in training daily, they will not be able to improve their hand work, accuracy and fitness.
Zaman reiterated that the current crop of Pakistan players has the potential of becoming the best in the world. “We still have the best raw talent in the world but they are struggling to match our record because they are not fit enough. Once they can get their fitness levels up to the required standard, they’ll become an unstoppable force.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2013.