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KARACHI: Despite the International Hockey Federation (FIH) no longer having a problem with the Indian Hockey Federation-organised World Series Hockey (WSH), the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has said that it will not allow players registered with it to be a part of the league unless it has also been recognised by Hockey India.
A WSH press release on Wednesday said that eight Pakistani players, namely former national team captain Zeeshan Ashraf, Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Imran Warsi, Waseem Ahmad, Adnan Maqsood, Tariq Aziz and Mudassar Ali had all signed to play in the cash-rich league. It also mentioned that forward Rehan Butt would captain one of the eight city-based franchise outfits.
“The PHF has no intention of allowing any of the players registered with it to play in the league,” said Bajwa, even though the FIH is said to have allowed all players who signed with the WSH before March 31 to play in the event provided their respective federations issue them an NOC.
“It doesn’t matter what the FIH has said regarding the league and players who can or cannot play,” said the former Olympian.
“For us it is not about the FIH but Hockey India, who don’t recognise the league as it is organised by the Indian Hockey Federation and not by the country’s official hockey body, Hockey India,” Bajwa explained.
Asked if former national team captain Zeeshan Ashraf could play in the league as he is no longer contracted with the PHF, Bajwa said: “He will also be prevented from playing even though he is no longer a part of the national team. But he still plays with the National Bank of Pakistan which happens to be a PHF-affiliated department. The same goes for any other player whose club or department is affiliated with us. There will be no compromises for anybody.”
Meanwhile, Rehan Butt while reacting to the WSH press release said that the league was a fine initiative that’ll help many international players rub shoulders with each other on the field but he wasn’t sure if he would be one of them.
“I signed on the dotted line before March 31, so I am eligible to play by FIH standards but I will not do anything if the PHF doesn’t permit me to play in the event. The contract carries good money too, but I can’t say anything as yet,” said Rehan who shied away from saying how much he was being offered.
Rehan’s team-mate Shakeel Abbasi, however, had no problem throwing light on that matter.
“The initial package carries around US$30,000 and if you also consider the daily allowances and match-winning amounts, it adds up to round about US$50,000,” he said.
“But I only signed the contract thinking that this was a recognised event. I will give it all up if the league is seen as illegal by the PHF,” he added.
WSH, to be played in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, etc., is a joint venture between the Indian Hockey Federation and Nimbus Sport, which has already signed top international players from all over the world including Australia, Argentina, Spain, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Korea.
