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KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided to include the 'rebel' players in the 18-member squad for Pakistan's tour to Europe starting on Friday, DawnNews reported.
While talking to the media, Asif Bajwa, the secretary of PHF said that Mohammad Imran, Shakeel Abbasi and Mohammad Waseem will leave for Europe with the team on Friday while Rehan Butt has been called for a pre-Olympics training camp.
Pakistan's European tour will begin from June 8 during which they will be playing against teams from Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. The training camp for the Olympics will begin for the Greenshirts from June 24 in Lahore.
Sohail Abbas, who led the Greenshirts at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, has been retained as captain for the European tour as well.
The PHF, which had previously imposed heavy monetary fines on eight players for participating in the World Series Hockey (WSH), also reduced the amount. Butt and Abbasi, who were fined 1 million, have now been asked to pay Rs. 100, 000 while Mohammad Waseem, Zeeshan Ashraf and Imran Warsi's fines have been reduced to Rs. 50, 000.
The recalled players are a part of group of five players who have been pardoned by the PHF after they submitted their appeals. The remaining three players Mudassar Ali Khan, Tariq Aziz and Adnan Maqsood who did not submit their appeals have been given a ten-day period.
PHF brought back the discarded players after Pakistan's abysmal performance at the Azlan Shah Cup where the Greenshirts finished last.
European Tour Squad:
Mohammad Imran, Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Waseem, Imran Shah (goalkeeper), Mohammad Irfan, Kashif Shah, Mohammad Khalid, Fareed Ahmed, Rashid Mehmood, Rizwan Junior, Umar Tauseef, Mohammad Waqas, Shafqat Rasool, Umar Bhutta, Abdul Haseem Khan, Mohammad Rizwan Senior, Ali Shan.
Training camp invitees:
Mohammad Zuabir, Shabbir Khan, Imran Butt, Rehan Butt, Mohammad Atiq,Hammad Butt, Afridi, Mohammad Arsalan,Mohammad Irfan, Salim Nazim, Muzammal Bhatti, Zohaib Khan and Dilbir Hussain.
