Ex-Pak hockey greats blasts players, team management for pathetic World Cup show

Karachi, Mar.12 (ANI): Former Pakistan hockey players have blasted the current bunch of players and the team management for the deplorable show in ongoing Hockey World Cup in New Delhi.

Pakistan finished last in the 12-nation tournament after it was defeated by 'minnows' Canada 3-2.

This is the first time that Pakistan have finished in the last position in a World Cup. Their worst-ever performance before on Thursday was the 11th spot finish in the 1986 World Cup in London.

Former captain Islahuddin Siddiqui appealed Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is the patron of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), to step in to save the game.

" Enough is enough. Pakistan hockey needs to be saved from a complete disaster. I would appeal to the prime minister to intervene and take steps to lift our national game," Siddiqui.

He called for sacking PHF secretary Asif Bajwa, who is also the team manager.

"Bajwa has to go otherwise it would be impossible to put our hockey back on track. He is there for the last two years but has miserably failed to raise a strong team," Siddiqui said.

Backing Siddiqui's views, Akhtar-ul-Islam, a former Olympian, said some concrete steps are needed to pull out the game from the present mess.

"Today I'm ashamed to call myself a Pakistan hockey player because of the way we've failed in the World Cup.The best way to react to this humiliation is by punishing the people responsible for the debacle," The News quoted Islam, as saying.

Earlier, taking the moral responsibility of the pathetic show in the World Cup the entire 18-man Pakistan hockey squad had resigned.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) had also sacked the selection committee and the team management after the loss against Canada on Thursday. (ANI)