LAHORE: The national selection committee of the Pakistan Hockey Federation headed by former Olympian Manzoor Junior has in principle decided to quit their posts after feeling it was no longer being consulted in the affairs of the national team.

No members of the committee had turned up at the National Hockey Stadium to look at the players’ performances during the national team’s training camp currently underway for the upcoming tour of Europe, Dawn has learnt.

Last week, head coach Siegrfried Aikman had told Dawn that he wanted the team to play according to the modern lines and he did not agree with the selectors who still had the old-style mindset.

PHF intends to announce a 20-member team on Tuesday, shortlisting from the 25 players who are attending the national team camp.

The players for the training camp were announced by the PHF without getting the approval from the selectors while Manzoor was in consultation with other members of his committee, Dawn has learnt.

The entire committee is considering announcing their resignations at a press conference next month and one of the members told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that there remains a feeling that the head coach had been given unprecedented powers of selection.“It is one of the reasons why the committee isn’t attending the training camp,” said the member. “There must be some check on the selection of the team in order to have Aikman accountable for any wrongdoing.”

Pakistan are due to play six matches during the tour — two against the Netherlands, one with Belgium and three against Spain.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2022