KARACHI, Aug 5: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Saturday conceded that team flopped at recent Terrassa Champions Trophy because of “friction” between the players and manager-cum-coach Asif Bajwa.
“The way the team performed in Champions Trophy, I personally feel that there was some friction between the players and the coach. And it was chiefly because on the captaincy issue. That created problems and we lost so badly,” secretary PHF Akhtarul Islam told reporters at a press conference.
“Basically it was lack of coordination between the players which did the damage. But I can feel there was some friction regarding the issue of captain.”
Although Akhtar didn’t disclose the details of the row between Asif and players, sources said it was striker Rehan Butt who picked up a quarrel with Asif who had removed the controversial Mohammad Saqlain.
The centre-half was serving a three-match ban and 1000-euro fine by International Hockey Federation (FIH) for hitting Australia’s Craig Victory at last year’s Hamburg Masters.
“I have broken more hockey sticks in my career than the goals scored by you,” sources quoted Rehan as telling Asif during the tiff which triggered before the start of the six-nation elite event in which Pakistan finished a poor fifth.
Sources say that a group of senior players including Rehan was annoyed on Saqlain’s removal as captain who was replaced by midfielder Ghazanfar Ali.
Goalkeeper Salman Akbar was also seen throwing away his gear in a furious mood near the bench after he was replaced by stand-in keeper Nasir Ahmad by Asif.
The goalkeeper was called to bench after he conceded four goals against the Netherlands who whipped green shirts 9-2.
While his predecessor Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan went all the way to defend Saqlain during his tenure, Akhtar seemed to be following suit as he also advocated for the Saqlain, saying he should be spared for he had already been punished.
“I think Saqlain has already faced enough punishment. Now there should be no more penalty for him,” the official said but didn’t specifically say if the midfielder would be reinstated as the captain.
Saqlain has a history of rash behaviour on the field. He was first dropped from 2000 Sydney Olympics squad for misconduct.
He was axed from 2004 Athens Games side by coach Roelant Oltmans for hitting teammate Adnan Maqsood before being suspended for one match for hitting a South Korean player during Azlan Shah Cup last year.
Hamburg Masters incident was the latest one for which Saqlain was penalized by FIH. PHF challenged the decision in Court of Arbitration for Sport of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) which upheld the decision.
Instead PHF was ordered to pay the expenses (1000 euros) FIH incurred by it and by members of the FIH Judicial Commission during the hearing.
