KARACHI, Aug 25: Pakistan junior hockey team management came under heavy fire on Monday by former Olympians for failing in controlling a flare-up which led to cancellation of three-match series in Poland.

Former greats Shahnaz Sheikh, Rasheedul Hassan and Ayaz Mahmood slammed the team officials, saying they failed to control the players’ tempers on the field against the hosts.

According to reports from Polish city of Gniezno, the game was halted in the first half of the second match after umpire gave penalty corners and a penalty stroke.

The situation turned ugly ten minutes before time in the second session when Poland were leading 6-5 as Pakistan players protested when umpire disallowed a goal.

It led to a fiasco as Pakistani players exchanged hot words with umpire and Polish players. Pakistan team manager Col Abdur Rauf entered the field and it was then that the match was abandoned.

Surprisingly, Rauf cancelled the scheduled third tie after informing his decision to the secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). Polish Hockey Association (PHA) secretary had accused the Pakistani players of unsporting behaviour.

“Pakistan have sent the juniors to gain exposure. It is shameful that the team officials failed to control the youngsters during the game. I do not know why the match was abandoned and the third fixture was cancelled,” Shahnaz said.

Shahnaz, also a former manager and coach, said the players should have been inculcated to play coolly and manager should have continued the game.

“The team management should have asked the players to play, no matter how rough the Polish were playing or even if the umpires were biased. The hosts sometimes take advantage.

“The question is how a manager can cancel a scheduled tie. It is only the hosts who cancel a game not the visiting team’s manager. What happened in Poland should be condemned,” he remarked.

Rasheed had the same opinion and he came hard on the team management for what he called their unprofessional behaviour and the way they tackled the matter.

“I must say the team officials should be removed. It is totally against the discipline and ethics. Our players went to play. It was the best opportunity for the manager to give the youthful players a chance to learn and see how to play against all the odds,” he said.

Rasheed said coach Asif Bajwa’s absence when the incident took place proved the things were being handled unprofessionally. “It is a joke with the game. What was the purpose of sending the team abroad when the coach preferred a course rather than sit on the bench.”

Asif had opted to stay in the Netherlands for a International Hockey Federation “coaches course” rather than travel to Poland along with the squad.

Ayaz, a former junior coach who toured Poland along with his side in 1996 and then in 1997, slammed the team management, saying youngsters had been deprived from having exposure when the game was abandoned and another was cancelled.

“First, the bench officials should have controlled the youngsters. Secondly, the team is in Europe to gain much-needed exposure. The team management should have continued to give a chance to players to learn all the aspects of the game.

“Biased umpiring is natural when a team visits another country. But that does not mean matches should be abandoned or cancelled. I have been to Poland and found Polish people cool and friendly. I can’t understand why such an incident happened,” he said.