KARACHI, Feb 15: Pakistan rolled off their preparations for next month’s Azlan Shah Cup with their chief coach missing from the training camp which got under way here on Saturday.

Apart from coach Shahnaz Sheikh, five of the 37 probables were also absent from the camp set up at Pakistan Steel Mills Sports Complex for the six-nation tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia.

Pakistan are gearing up for the March 22-31 contest to be participated by defending champions Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, India and hosts Malaysia.

The green shirts will also play three-match Test series against Malaysia from March 17 to 20 to acclimatise and give themselves a good warm-up before the competition.

According to team manager, Col Shahid Jaffery (retd), Shahnaz could not report on the opening day of the camp since his release orders from his department, PIA, were in process. The coach is expected to join the camp either on Sunday or Monday.

“Shahnaz was on a year’s leave and he joined on Feb 1. Apart from that he also took three or four-day leave to see PTCL matches during the recently-concluded national championship,” Col Shahid said.

Surprisingly, Shahnaz had a different story on the issue. He cited his personal commitment as the reason for his absence from the camp. “I am expecting my ailing father-in-law from Dubai early Sunday morning. I will be in Karachi on Sunday after admitting him to the hospital,” the coach said.

It is the first job for Shahnaz after taking the reins from Tahir Zaman who has been demoted and will now assist Shahnaz after a pathetic show at last year’s three major events under his wings.

The tournament in Malaysia is the first major event of the calendar and provides a build-up to all-important Champions Trophy to be hosted by Amsterdam, the Netherlands in August. Pakistan are also scheduled to play a four-nation tournament in Germany and two in Australia in May-June.

It is not the first time a coach has been absent from the national training camp. The junior team coach Ayaz Mahmood and his deputy Qamar Ibraheem were also unavailable for a camp for an Under-19 event earlier this year as both were on a “coaches course” in Perth, Australia. They returned but only after eight or nine days when camp probables were shorlisted in their absence.

However, Col Shahid said the 32 trainees had morning and evening sessions under the supervision of Tahir, while goalkeeping coach Shahid Ali Khan had also reported.

The manager said the two players — Rehan Butt and Waseem Ahmad — who suffered injuries during the national championship and Jawaid Iqbal were likely to join late Saturday night.

“We don’t have any knowledge about Ghazanfar Ali and Asim Chohan as both have not intimated about their plans. But there are rumours Ghazanfar is either playing league in England or he is physically unfit,” the manager said.

Interestingly, Ghazanfar has been named among the hopefuls despite the fact the midfielder neither played the national championship final round nor appeared in the trials.