LAHORE: Former Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary and Olympian retired Lt Col Mudassar Asghar has slammed the poor performance of Pakistan team in the ongoing World Hockey League (WHL) Semi-final round.

The greenshirts displaying a dismal performance throughout the WHL conceded 24 goals while scoring only five in addition to losing both their matches to archrivals India by big margins.

“It’s very unfortunate that the Pakistan team provided Indians a chance to avenge their 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Pakistan in New Delhi in 1982,” maintained the former Olympian while talking to Dawn on Saturday.

“I would say it is a shameful performance and nothing else. No one can expect such kind of performance from Pakistan which has ruled the world of hockey,” he further said.

“Who is responsible for the debacle and who will decide as to who is responsible? Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif needs to spare some time to review the sorrow state of affairs in the national game.

“The damage is beyond recovery and very serious efforts by serious people are required to help the team in its revival,” said a visibly dejected Mudassar.

He also slammed the team management and selection committee for their poor preparations as well as poor vision.

“We need to appoint very honest and clean people in the PHF set-up. Otherwise, the national team is bound to suffer more humiliation in the field,” he remarked.

The former Olympian took to task the PHF for not sending the national team to Champions Trophy last year. “Had the PHF fielded the team in the Champions Trophy on the special invitation of the FIH, these players would have learnt a lot,” he commented.

Conceding 24 goals against just five speaks volumes about the dismal performance of the national team, said Mudassar who expressed serious reservations over the team performance in next year’s World Cup.

“When I was the PHF secretary, Azlan Shah hockey tournament authorities first confirmed Pakistan’s participation before announcing their dates. But now they did not bother to even invite Pakistan,” reminisced the former PHF secretary.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2017