ISLAMABAD, July 8: Former Pakistan manager Shahnaz Shaikh has urged the hockey managers to reconsider and rethink team strategies ahead of next month's Olympic Games. "I think the biggest problem at the moment is that of team composition and communication because of which recent results have not been encouraging," he said.

"We have already lost to three of the five teams that we will be facing in our Olympic Group and this should be a cause for concern for the bench management." Pakistan, in Group A of the Olympic competition, are bracketed with Germany, Spain, England, Korea and Egypt.

On their recent tour of Europe, Pakistan coached by Dutchman Roelant Oltmans lost to England and Germany while drawing with Korea. They were beaten earlier on by Spain. In a three-nation tournament at the start of the tour in England, Pakistan took second place and were again runners-up behind Germany in a four-team competition in Hamburg.

They finished off the tour by taking third spot in another warm-up event in Amsterdam. "Oltmans was hired by the Pakistan Hockey Federation to help the team win tournaments but the side continues to falter."

Shahnaz pointed out that there had been no improvement in the physical condition of the players and the defence was letting the side down by conceding late goals. "Pakistan are traditionally known for playing an attacking game but today the number of attacks that the team makes in a single match has reduced drastically."

He felt that rapid substitutions made by the team officials tend to affect the players. "Unlike the Europeans, our boys are not used to such quick changes during the course of a match. Just when a player is settling down, he is called back."

Shahnaz also drew the attention of the officials to the fact that except for Rehan Butt, the team had no regular forward. "We should have at least three regulars up front." "I am worried as to how Pakistan are going to advance in the Olympics with such strategies."

He called upon the coaches to assess things in the light of facts and figures and try to rectify them in whatever time that is now left before the Summer Games. The Olympic Games begin in Athens from Aug 13.