June 10, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1429

KARACHI, June 9: Pakistan junior team manager Jahangir Butt on Monday said there will be no over-age player issue for the green shirts at the Junior Asia Cup since other teams such as Malaysia had openly been fielding such players in the recent past.

“I don’t think it will be a problem. I can show pictures of several over-age Malaysian players,” said Jahangir in a rather odd justification after he was reminded about the presence of over-age players in Mohammad Ateeq, Amir Shahzad and Shafqat Rasool.

While Pakistan juniors have been banking on the seniors and over-age players for quite some time, they have failed to impress.

The Pakistan juniors begin preparations for next month’s Junior Asia Cup on Tuesday with four of senior team players participating directly in the trials following a back-breaking 40-day tour of Europe.

Jahangir agreed that the quartet of Mohammad Atiq, Mohammad Irfan, Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Zubair would be stale after strenuous activity in Europe with the senior team, but added that he had no option but to accept the wish of the senior management in accommodating them.

“I must agree that they (the four players) must be very tired after such a long and hectic tour of Europe. I had expressed my reservations but since the senior team management wanted to take these players with them, I accepted it,” Jahangir told Dawn from Islamabad.

“I had asked the team management not to field them (the quartet) in too many matches so that they could conserve their energy for Junior Asia Cup,” clarified Jahangir while evading obvious queries regarding the utility of these players in Europe in case they were not fully utilised.

The quartet would be returning from Europe on June 16 and would be allowed to take part in the trials straightaway for the junior camp which rolls off in Islamabad on Tuesday for the 10-nation event starting July 8 in Hyderabad, India.

However, the real cause of worry for Jahangir is the uncertainty about the juniors’ opponents. According to the manager, the Indian organisers are yet to release the names of the countries participating in the tournament which will also serve as the qualifying round for the Junior World Cup to be co-hosted by Singapore and Malaysia next year.

“We are yet to receive a confirmed list of participating teams from the International Hockey Federation (FIH), said the manager. “Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is in contact with the FIH but organisers say the delay is because of crisis with the Indian federation.”

When asked about half-back Zeeshan getting included in the camp despite not being ot named by PHF on May 29, Jahangir said his name was omitted from the probables list by mistake. “Zeeshan had already represented juniors and also toured when we went to Egypt and Kenya.”

The manager added that apart from eight to 10 players, all the probables have reported while remaining are expected on Tuesday.