After returning from Australia tour, Pakistan hockey captain Shakeel Ammad Butt made serious allegations against PHF. He said there were no hotel bookings, players had to wander on the streets and wash utensils before the match. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation.
Pakistan Hockey Team Australia Tour Controversy: Pakistan hockey team’s tour to Australia is in the headlines more due to mismanagement than their performance on the field. Team Captain Shakeel Ammad Butt has taken on the Hockey Federation (PHF) of his country as soon as he returned to Pakistan. Butt strongly criticized the Pakistan Hockey Federation, saying that his team faced poor handling conditions on the tour.
No hotel booking, team kept wandering on the streets
Speaking to reporters at Lahore airport, Butt said that the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was lying to him and now the situation has become so bad that it has passed above the water. According to captain Butt, when the team reached Australia for the FIH Pro League matches, they were told at the hotel that there was no booking in their name. Advance payment was not made to the hotel. The players had to wait for hours and wandered on the streets before arrangements were made for hotels.
Had to wash utensils before the match- Shakeel Ammad Butt
According to Butt, the conditions were so bad that the players had to clean the kitchen and even wash utensils before going to play the match. He raised the question, when players do such things before going on the field, how can you expect good results from them? He clearly said that the team cannot play further under the current management.
Question on funding of Pakistan Sports Board
The state-owned Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had confirmed that it had given more than Pakistani rupees one crore to PHF in the name of hotel arrangements for the Australia tour. Despite this, the federation is being severely criticized due to lack of hotel booking. The team also had to wait for 13-14 hours at Sydney Airport before the next flight to Canberra.
airbnb booking and cheap hotels
Butt said that the hotel was booked through Airbnb only for 10 days, whereas the team had to stay for 13 days. After completion of ten days, the players had to shift to a cheap hotel.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered investigation
PSB Director General Noor Us Sabah told the media that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the entire matter. He is preparing a detailed report on this matter. Let us tell you that Sharif is also the chief patron of Pakistan Hockey Federation.
Players warned against talking to media
Butt also revealed that the PHF had warned the players not to talk to the media. It was said that if anyone gave a statement, action would be taken against him. The captain said that he is speaking openly because of what the team faced in Australia.
Demand for foreign coaches and better management
Butt said that Pakistan has good players, but the team needs a foreign coach and better management. He said that if the team has to move forward, major changes in the structure are necessary. Let us tell you that the Pakistani team had lost the first match against Australia by 2-3. During the tour, apart from host Australia, Pakistan also played matches against Germany, but the team lost all the matches.