Pakistani hockey team had to face embarrassment
There is going to be a big match between India and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2026. Before this match, Pakistani government and cricket board made a lot of drama and put the match in danger. But while the Pakistani government was busy creating drama by making its cricket team a political weapon, at the same time the country’s honor was being torn to pieces in Australia. The players of Pakistan hockey team, which went on Australia tour to play Pro League matches, had to face humiliation. On reaching there, the players neither got anything to eat on time nor a hotel to stay as the room bookings were canceled due to non-payment.
This embarrassment of the Pakistani team and government was happening at the same time when the country’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif was announcing the boycott of the match against India in the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s senior men’s hockey team was going to Australia to compete in the FIH Pro League. Even before leaving for this tour, the players’ visas were canceled once because there were many mistakes in the form. They were quickly repaired and sent again and the visas were approved.
But the troubles of Pakistani players did not stop there. According to the report of Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune, when the team reached the capital Canberra, the players had to wait at the airport for about 12 hours for the flight to Hobart. During this period the players had no place to stay or eat. In such a situation, a player took help from one of his acquaintances living there, after which some food arrangements were made for the players. But there were no accommodation arrangements, due to which the players had to spend some nights on the streets because the airport was closed.
Somehow, when the team and support staff reached Hobart on the next flight, they were shocked. The players were told that Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had made arrangements for their stay in a hotel. But when the players reached that 4-star hotel, all the claims turned out to be false. The hotel staff clearly told the team that their booking had been canceled as they had not received any payment. When he was asked for re-booking, the head coach of the team contacted the authorities in Pakistan. But re-booking could not be done citing lack of funds from PHF.
Ultimately, somehow the players themselves and with the help of some citizens of Pakistani origin living in Australia managed to manage by booking cheap hotels and Air-BNB rooms. Due to lack of rooms, two-three players had to spend the night in the same room. The fatigue caused by this shameful incident and the mismanagement of the journey had a direct impact on the team’s performance. The very next day, Pakistan had to play a match against Australia, but the Pakistani team, which came on the field in a dejected state, lost the match by 2-3.
