KARACHI, Jan 20: Former Pakistan hockey captain Waseem Ahmed observed that Sohail Abbas might be the best short corner expert in contemporary hockey by virtue of his world record tally of 274 goals but there were many better players with all-round game who actually were on the field for a longer period.

He expressed these views shedding light on his compatriot missing out on the Player-of-the-Year award. "Perhaps, this aspect was taken into consideration when ignoring his claim for the award," Ahmed explained in an interview on Thursday.

Answering a query about his and Sohail's retirement he said though Sohail and I have announced retirement, there was no official acceptance yet by the Pakistani Hockey Federation (PHF). He maintained that he was ready to don the national colours if the PHF feels his services were required. -PPI