July 10, 2006	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 13, 1427

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KARACHI, July 9: Discarded spearhead Kashif Jawwad, who was recalled for Pakistan ‘A’ training camp in Faisalabad on Sunday refused to accept the offer, saying he was available only for senior side.

“As South Asian Games are from Aug 18 to 27 and team will probably return on Aug 29 or 30, I will surely miss the World Cup which begins Sept 6. In this scenario it is useless to join Pakistan ‘A’ camp. If I can’t play for senior side, why should I play for ‘A’ team,” Kashif told Dawn.

Kashif, Mohammad Nadeem and Amir Saleem have been invited by Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) after they expressed their wish to play for national side.

Asked since he had said earlier that he wanted to play for country why he chose to stay away from Pakistan ‘A’ camp, Kashif said: “I want to play for country but for the senior team and the World Cup.”

The centre-forward said PHF director marketing Naveed Haider talked to him on phone on Sunday from Lahore and urged him to join the Pakistan ‘A’ camp, saying he still was capable of playing hockey.

Interestingly, PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan last month had said there was no room for Kashif since Shakeel Abbasi was performing well.

“Naveed Haider said he had promised (Mohammad) Saqlain that he would bring him back into the national squad, suggesting him to go and play league in Germany. But when I asked him could he promise me that I will play the World Cup he refused.

“I even asked him to include me in ongoing Pakistan Under-18 camp in Karachi. But Naveed said how it can be possible. I said preparing a ‘B’ form would be no problem.

“I clearly gave the indication that PHF should have called me for senior camp. However, I was even ready to play at South Asian Games but on the condition that I will be considered for World Cup,” Kashif said.

Kashif said he also had a chat with Musarrat who asked him to focus on December’s Asian Games. “The secretary asked me to go and create record by scoring plethora of goals and win the gold at South Asian Games. But he did not answer when I asked if PHF is not considering me for World Cup which is three months away, then how it will give me a chance for an event which is five months away.”

The Olympian said PHF had played a dirty game, by recalling him for the South Asian Games, while penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas and left-half Waseem Ahmad, had been invited for senior side.

Kashif argued that it was what he called injustice that he had been considered for `A’ side, although he was dropped from team last year, while Sohail and Waseem quit international hockey in 2004.

“It was nothing but discrimination. It is all because I criticized Pakistan senior team coach Asif Bajwa for his incompetence and negative approach. But how long players can praise Asif despite the fact he doesn’t know anything about coaching,” Kashif said.