June 12, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, June 11: Following a rout Down Under, Pakistan hockey manager Shahnaz Shaikh on Wednesday urged for patience.

“This is a new team and the management and the players would require time before everything begins to click,” Shahnaz told Dawn from his hometown of Sialkot.

The Pakistan party returned home on Tuesday night after featuring in two back-to-back tournaments in Perth and Sydney finishing with a wooden spoon in both. The competitions had Australia and India along with an Australian A side.

“In the first leg of the tour in Perth, the team was under pressure as we were without some of the senior players. However, we played better in the second tournament.”

“We not only beat Australia A but also fought back from two goals down to draw 4-4 with India. So this goes to show that the players have the fighting spirit so vital for top class hockey.”

Pakistan were without three of their key players — star short corner striker Sohail Abbas, Muhammad Waseem and former captain Muhammad Nadeem — all of whom chose to play league hockey in Germany without prior approval of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

While Nadeem was left out as a punishment, Sohail and Waseem never reported for the camp and were therefore not selected. But Shahnaz was forthright in saying that Sohail was missed quite a bit. “His absence meant that the advantage we enjoyed over the past three years from short corners was just not there.”

In the two tournaments, Pakistan scored a total of 14 goals while conceding 25. Of these, eight were netted in field play and six came from short corners. The team forced 34 penalty corners in all.

“Since Sohail was not there, Ghazanfar Ali was under pressure while taking penalty corner set-pieces,” said Shahnaz who would not comment on if it was wise of the PHF to ignore the senior players for the tour.

Shahnaz, himself a former Olympian of repute, conceded that his team’s finishing in front of goal was not good which in turn put pressure on the defenders. “The missing ratio was high.”

He said that centre forward Shakeel Abbasi was the top player of the tour and impressed everyone with his fine skills and ball control. “The other players too did well and I am confident that they would improve with time which is what this team needs.”

He pointed out that winning combinations could not be put together overnight and cited the example of world champions Germany. “In the 1998 Champions Trophy they finished sixth and then went on to win the World Cup in Malaysia four years later.”

The Champions Trophy which takes place in Holland this August, would be the real stage for this team to come good, said Shahnaz who took over as coach last year before being made the manager last month following the death of Shahid Hamid Jaffery.

“I believe that it is only a matter of time before the boys start delivering in the true sense of the word and I am quite optimistic that our experience in Australia would benefit us in the forthcoming Champions Trophy.”

Pakistan are bidding to win the elite Champions Trophy for the first time in nine years after last claiming the crown in 1994 in Lahore, the glorious year in which they also captured the World Cup in Sydney.—denies allegations

Our Sports Correspondent adds from Lahore: Pakistan hockey manager Shahnaz Sheikh on Wednesday denied four national players went abroad to play in league with his consent and added he was ready to face inquiry into the matter.

Mohammad Nadeem, Sohail Abbas and Waseem Ahmad went to Germany and Aamir Saleem to England to play in league and skipped the national training camp set up for the recent two three-nation events in Australia.

Shahnaz said how he could permit any player to leave the country as it was a matter between the players, their department and the PHF.

PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan had recently disclosed Wapda officials had alleged Shahnaz asked their two players (Sohail and Waseem) to go abroad and play in league.

The manager said he was being made a scapegoat by Wapda while their players were still playing in Germany with support of their department.

He said National Bank took prompt action and called Nadeem back to the country and the story might have been different had Wapda done the same.