KARACHI, July 16: Sohail Abbas and Waseem Ahmad, facing a possible disciplinary action, say they are ready for any punishment including a one-year ban.
“Be it one-year ban, fines, or whatever, we are ready to accept any decision Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) takes,” Sohail and Waseem told Dawn at UBL Sports Complex.
The PHF inquiry committee has recommended that the players should be debarred for an year or fine be imposed. The duo went to Germany to play in professional league, although they were refused permission by the PHF.
Although the fate of the players hangs in the balance, the PHF, it seems has already decided to include them in the squad for the next month’s Champions Trophy, by asking them to join the ongoing training camp.
The hockey chief Gen Aziz Khan will take the final decision about the two players.
The pair saw the match between Pakistan and China, but did not play as, according to assistant coach Shahid Ali Khan, the line- up was already finalized while they joined the camp on Wednesday on the directives of the PHF.
Full-back Sohail and left-half Waseem said they had no idea there action would become a burning issue when they went to Germany. “I had no idea it would become such an issue. I think we made a mistake by going to Germany as PHF had told us to prepare for the Australian tour,” Sohail said.
Asked why he opted to play in Germany while he was earning at home as claimed by the PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan, Sohail said it was not the money for which they went.
The PHF secretary in his earlier statement had said PHF would have given the players permission had they approached it. But later reversed his statement saying they had contacted him but were not allowed to proceed abroad.
“We did not go to Germany to earn money. We wanted to get exposure and experience,” the players said.
Nevertheless, at the same time, Sohail agreed that standard of the league could not be compared to international hockey.
The pair refrained from disclosing the actual amount they got by playing in Germany. Both played for Hamburg-based Harvestehude Hockey and Tennis Club which is at fourth spot after 10 matches.
Mohammad Nadeem, who also went to Germany to play for Monchengladbach Hockey and Tennis Club, said he earned 2000 euros in a month and his club was one place above Harvestehude.
Asked whether the Germany had a same selection criterion like Pakistan had, Sohail and Waseem replied in negative and added the coach had sweeping powers to select and train the squad.
“There is lot of difference. They (Germans) had a totally different system. There is no selection committee and the coach watches the whole league and then selects the squad,” the players said.
Sohail said he had lost a considerable amount of weight, cholesterol, and the training on scientific basis helped him improve his game.
“There we had world class gym. We had sponsors and lots of facilities which we should have here too. But it is a bit difficult to have what we had in Germany without money,” Sohail.
Meanwhile, PHF has almost decided to include Sohail Abbas and Waseem Ahmad into the Champions Trophy squad despite indiscipline.
It has been learnt the two players have been told by the secretary of the PHF to prepare for the elite six-nation event to be hosted by the Dutch city of Amstelveen from Aug 16.
The players, who went to Germany to play in league despite being disallowed by the PHF, has been asked to ‘forget’ the past and give their best at the Trophy to compensate team’s loss during the Australian tour.