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Pakistan hockey experienced its darkest hour in the recently-concluded World Cup 2010 when the national team finished last among the twelve competing teams in New Delhi.
The debacle prompted the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to take some drastic measures that included dissolution of selection committee, overhaul of team management and removal of coach Shahid Ali Khan.
While the new selection committee, headed by Olympian Hanif Khan is already in place, hectic efforts are underway by the PHF to find a strong, competent coach for the national squad.
Some experts of the game believe that a high-profile foreign coach is the answer of all ills plaguing Pakistan hockey, but there are others who feel that a local Olympian can do a better job as coach.
With the Azlan Shah Cup and the Asian Games just round the corner and the fact that Pakistan is on the verge of elimination from next Olympics in London in 2012 makes the job of PHF and the incoming coach extremely difficult.
The current PHF administration has in principle agreed to hire a foreign coach but top candidate for the post, Paul Lissek of Germany, is believed to have flatly refused the offer due to prevailing security situation in Pakistan.
Reliable sources reveal that other foreign coaches approached by the PHF have also expressed similar concerns about the security in the region.
This situation has compelled the PHF to turn to local experts to uplift the team and it has been said that the federation may have to choose one candidate from among Tayyab Ikram, Tahir Zaman, Qamar Ibrahim and Asif Bajwa as coach since they are the only few recognised and qualified coaches in Pakistan.
Tayab Ikram, in fact, carries far better credentials than former Olympians Tahir, Asif and Ibrahim. However, some PHF officials see him as a coach with more theoretical approach with not much emphasis on practical skills.
Asif Bajwa, due to his current position as the PHF secretary, is automatically ruled out as candidate for coach's position and the choice boils down to three other individuals, all of whom, unfortunately, not featuring in the good books of current hockey administration.
The bottom line is that the PHF can ill-afford to have a mediocre coach at this stage. It would be better to hire a local coach with good track record and strong work ethics than to have an average international coach for an exorbitant salary package.
The foreign coach can only prove successful if he is empowered to select a team of his own choice. But in a set-up like ours, this sort of thing is just unthinkable, mainly because the federation is such a politically governed institution.
In the past, we have seen a high-profile foreign coach-cum-physical trainer like Wouter Tazelaar failing to make an impact on the national team. He was primarily hired to get the Pakistani players in top physical condition but the World Cup loss proved that he had flopped miserably.
Even the federation secretary disclosed to the media after the Delhi debacle that the 'players were not physically fit.'
The nation, feeling let down by the World Cup flop, is still awaiting some answers, not just from the players and the PHF, but also from the Federal Sports Ministry — a government arm looking after the sports in country.
On another front, former captain Islahuddin Siddiqui, who is currently leading a large group of hockey players in a move to oust Asif Bajwa as the federation's secretary, is being repeatedly snubbed by the top govt authorities including PHF Patron, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
This ongoing wranglings between the federation and the former Olympians is only harming Pakistan hockey and could damage it beyond repair if not urgently addressed.
It is also high time that Bajwa and Company realise the gravity of the situation and give a patient hearing to the former Olympians in order to resolve the brewing crisis.
It is among these very Olympians that a coach will have to be picked once all foreign options get exhausted. It is essential then that the former players are given due respect and their expertise recognized for a better future of the game.
Another key factor could be the kind of terms offered to a local coach. While he should be made responsible for a rise in the national team's graph, he should be paid as well, if not more, than any foreign candidate would have been paid. Besides that, his contract should not be less than two years which is a fair time to judge the progress of a team under a certain official.
Lastly, but not the least, the coach should be picked on merit and no political appointment should be made or else it will spell doom for Pakistan hockey.
