LAHORE, Nov 23: Pakistan football coach Siddique Sheikh warned the missing probables of the national training camp, either to join the training camp by Sunday (Nov 25) or send genuine reasons behind not joining, otherwise they stand to face severe disciplinary action.
The camp is in progress at the Model Town ground since Nov 20, but only 12 probables, out of total 38 reported till Friday. From the camp, Pakistan senior and Under-23 teams will be finalised.
Siddique told Dawn that he would recommend the PFF to take strict action against those probables who fail to report till Sunday (Nov 25) without intimating reasons for their delay in joining the camp.
It was learnt that skipper Haroon Yousaf with two other prominent players of the Allied Bank Nauman and Gohar Zaman have been posted in branches and the sports department of the ABL was facing difficulties in getting them relieved for the camp. However, not a single player out of total eight from Army reported to the camp.
Meanwhile, the PFF, in addition of already invited 38 probables, has recommended four players from Punjab for the training camp. Among them, Shahzad Khan and Farooq Ahmad reported in the camp on Thursday but Abdul Waheed and Asif bin Younis are still to join.
In the first list, no player from Punjab was selected for the camp.
Siddique said that he had divided the training camp into two phases. The first phase would conclude at the end of the Ramazan- ul-Mubarik. He would shortlist the probables to 30 at the end of the first phase and after it no change would be possible in number of the trainees for the second phase which would start after Eid-ul-Fitr.
He said that during the camp training two sessions would be held daily. The theory session would be arranged at the hotel in the morning and the practical session at the Model Town ground from 1pm to 4pm. From now onwards Friday would be the rest day in the camp, he said.
Siddique said that he had no intimation about the arrival of other coach Akhtar Mohyuddin who is also missing the camp since its first day.
Except four probables who reached Lahore till Nov 20, the other who reported in the camp are Tanvir, Mustaqeem Khan, Sajjad, Shahid, Aamir Khan, Aasim Khurshid, Shahzad Khan and Farooq Ahmad.