Although assistant coaches Ahmed Alam and Ajmal Khan alongwith team physiotherapist Faiz-ur-Rehman and video analyst Nadeem Lodhi will be the four officials traveling with the team, manager Manzoor Jr will not be accompanying the squad since his department, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), is not willing to spare him at the moment.
“We have been asked by PIA to take Manzoor Jr on deputation but the federation at the moment has no provision for that sort of a thing. We have always taken on people on an honorary basis. Therefore Manzoor Jr won't be accompanying the squad on the tour till matters with his department are settled,” Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Asif Bajwa clarified while speaking to Dawn on the eve of the team's departure to Holland.
Asked if there could be a change of management as a result of this, Bajwa said “We'll see what is to be done but we can't say anything right away. But,” he added, “it can ruin our future relationship with the department as we would think twice before offering anyone associated with them any position within the federation.”
Meanwhile, Manzoor Jr was not approachable when Dawn tried contacting him on the matter.
The final team for the tour of Europe - as it is now being cited instead of 'second phase of camp' for the Commonwealth Games - will also be announced after the team reaches Holland.
The team is expected to play seven matches against various sides while in Holland including a fund-raising match with the home team for the benefit of the flood victims of Pakistan, to be played sometime between Sept 13 and 20.
More details along with the exact dates of the matches and the teams the Green Shirts are going to play against were not readily available with assistant coach Ahmed Alam when contacted by Dawn on Tuesday. “Well, the match details along with the names for the final team will be announced by coach Michel van den Heuvel in Holland after we reach there,” he informed.
Pakistan hockey team's Dutch coach is already in Holland as he had left around the time the camp at Army Sports and Physical Training School, Tobe Camp, in Abbottabad was being wrapped up.
About there also being no team captain and vice captain named as yet, which is usually done by the PHF management before tours, Ahmed Alam said that the team leadership will most probably be the same as on their last tour of Europe in July.
Secretary Asif Bajwa, too, confirmed that by saying “We would have announced something had there been any change in captaincy. So it will be Zeeshan Ashraf as captain and Mohammad Imran as his deputy.”
Team Imran Shah, Zeeshan Ashraf (captain), Mohammad Imran (vice captain), Kashif Javed, Waseem Ahmad, Mohammad Rashid, Waqas Sharif, Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan, Muhammad Tauseeq, Mohammad Omer Bhutta, Shafqat Rasool, Abdul Haseem Khan, Fareed Ahmad, Mohammad Zubair, Waqas Akbar and Imran Butt.
Officials Ahmed Alam and Ajmal Khan (assistant coaches), Faiz ur Rehman (physiotherapist) and Nadeem Lodhi (video analyst).
