LAHORE: While retaining Ammad Butt as captain of the national team for the FIH Pro League, president of ad-hoc Pakistan Hockey Federation Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani on Saturday categorically said that the future of everyone, including himself in the PHF, and the team management depended on performance.”Ammad will continue as captain for the Pro League matches [in Belgium and England],” the president told reporters on the sidelines of national senior team’s training camp here at the National Hockey Stadium.
“I met the national team players during the camp and told them categorically that the performance of everyone, including myself, is being watched closely. Only those giving [good] performance will stay.”
Pakistan are scheduled to tour Belgium and England next month — to play two matches each against Belgium, Spain, England and India — for the third round the 2025-26 Pro League before participating in the Aug 15-30 World Cup being co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.
The national selection committee headed by Samiullah Khan finalised a 20-member squad for the Pro League assignment on Thursday.
‘Only players, PHF officials giving good performance will stay’
While the PHF president approved the squad, the name of the captain was missing, raising the question if Ammad will continue.
Mohyuddin said that the revival of hockey depended on the players’ performance.
“I have told the boys that the revival of Pakistan hockey depends on their performance. And to achieve this, the PHF and the government will provide them with all the [required] facilities,” he said.
He further said that more departments were ready to form their hockey team and in that connection Pakistan Motorways, Nadra and FIA had expressed their desire to raise their hockey teams.
“It is a good sign as it will provide players jobs to ease their financial problems,” the PHF chief said.
Mohyuddin said that the PHF had raised the daily allowances and other facilities of the U-18 national squad given to the senior team. “This will boost their [U-18 players’] morale to deliver as their performance also matters in protecting future of the national game.”
It may be mentioned here that the PHF recently increased the daily allowance of the senior players for international duty to $110.
Meanwhile, Shakeel Abbasi, a member of the coaching panel, was relieved from the camp as he is no more part of the team management named for the Pro League.
National senior team head coach Manzoor-ul-Hasan confirmed that Khawaja Junaid (coach) and Mazhar Abbas (goalkeeping coach) will accompany the squad for the Pro League matches.
However, Manzoor did not disclose the reason behind ousting Shakeel from the coaching panel.
The Ammad-led Pakistan squad will leave for Karachi on June 9 to fly out to Belgium via Istanbul, to play the Pro League matches there against Belgium and Spain starting from June 13.
From there, the team will visit England on June 20 to feature in the remaining four games of the league against the hosts and arch-rivals India.
Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026