LAHORE, Feb 29: The announcement of the 18-member squad for the forthcoming tour of China has been delayed unceremoniously till Saturday in order to get the approval of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

The team was to be announced after the completion of two-day trials at the National Hockey Stadium’s No 2 ground on Friday. The selected team is to tour China from March 13 to 23 to play a five-Test series there.

But as the PHF did not receive back the names of the squad members from its president, sitting in Karachi till 9.00pm, the federation’s media manager Altaf Sabir told Dawn that now the team would be announced on Saturday.

After completion of the trials, all the 35 probables, who appeared in those, along with the media, have anxiously been waiting for the team’s announcement but they were left disappointed when chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui declared it would take some time for the approval.

“The president has said that he will send back the team after approval through fax. But I can’t say when it will be possible for me to announce as it may take 10 minutes, one hour or more. So, if you want to wait you may. Otherwise, the team will be announced later at any time,” Islah said.

It is the first time that such a delay has occurred in the team’s announcement.

The PHF president delayed the announcement, caring little that the selection committee members, except Samiullah, with chief coach Khawaja Zakauddin and most importantly his secretary Khalid Mahmood, sent the team to him after witnessing the trials.

Meanwhile, on the final day of the trials three sessions were held before the selectors finalised the team.

Left-half Rana Asif was not allowed to appear in the trials, since he reported to the camp late.