KARACHI: The trials held by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for the selection of the U-18 team for the upcoming matches against the World XI and a tour of Argentina were merely an eyewash and a waste of resources, Dawn can exclusively reveal.

The PHF announced the 20-member squad on Tuesday but a source, on the condition of anonymity, had given Dawn a list of the players a day before predicting that the team had already been selected and the trials were a “farce”.

From that list, 17 were part of the team announced by the PHF while an 18th was named as a stand-bye.

That list of 18 players included Waqar Ali, Adil Rao, Rizwan Ali, Ibrahim Khan, Adeel Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Junaid Manzoor, Ghazanfar Ali, Afraz, Zakirullah, Moin Shakeel, Naved Alam, Umair Sattar, Rana Waheed, M. Ilyas, Shahzaib, Awais Arshad and Ali Raza. Ali was named as stand-bye by the PHF.

The World XI tour begins with the first match on Friday. The second match is on Sunday before the team flies off to Buenos Aires for a five-match series on February 5.

The PFH said the team was named after getting consent from the president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar at the end of two-day trials which concluded at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium.

Earlier, the selection committee headed by Islahuddin Siddiqui and comprised of Ayaz Mahmood, Mussadiq Hussain and Farhat Khan watched the trials. Another member Qasim Khan, who missed the opening day’s session, also witnessed the second day’s trials for sometime before rushing to airport to catch a flight.

PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed was also in attendance and discussed the formation of team with selectors and team officials.

Manager-cum head coach of the national team Hasan Sardar also had a meeting with the PHF hierarchy.

Meanwhile, Junaid Manzoor has been named to lead Pakistan junior under-18 hockey team primarily, for the upcoming assignments.

“The team has been selected ‘unanimously’ and on merit,” team manager Qamar Ibrahim told journalists.

Team: Waqar Younus, Adil Rao (goal-keepers), Rizwan Ali (vice captain), Rehan Butt, Moin Shakeel, Adeel Latif, Junaid Manzoor (captain), Shahzaib Khan, Ghazanfer Ali, Afraz Hakeem, Umair Sattar, Naveed Alam, Amjad Ali, Awais Arshad, Rana Waheed, Ahmed Nadeem, M. Ilyas, Waqar Ali, Zakirullah and Ibrahim; Stand-byes: Ali Raza, Hammad Anjum, Murtaza Yaqoob, Zahan Butt, Umer Bilal and Akmal Hussain (goal-keepers); Officials: Qamar Ibrahim (manager/head coach), Kamran Ashraf (coach).

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2018