Pakistan’s beleaguered hockey team has left for Egypt’s World Cup Qualifiers nursing deep grudges against their federation. Captain Ammad Butt’s men demanded Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans but got Khwaja Junaid instead—a coach banned for life in 2023 after presiding over catastrophe.
PHF interim head Mohiuddin Wani acknowledged the unrest yet insisted on Junaid, claiming no window to hire abroad. Butt’s plea to PCB’s Mohsin Naqvi fell on deaf ears, the chairman distancing himself from PHF’s political quagmire where appointments favor loyalty over merit.
The ban on Junaid arose from an eight-month probe into 2022 Asia Cup failures. Facing Japan, Pakistan needed just a draw but crumbled 3-2 when Manzoor’s equalizer was voided over an extra-player violation. This blunder ended their World Cup qualification run.
Glory days seem distant for the four-time champions. They’ve skipped 2014 and 2022 World Cups, languished 12th in 2010 (India) and 2018 (also India). Junaid, a serial coach with PML connections, boasts no elite accolades.
Fresh scars from Canberra linger: inadequate lodging, delayed and docked allowances defying sports board norms. Interim fixes feel like slaps in the face. En route to Egypt, the squad’s dissatisfaction simmers. Amid federation chaos, can Pakistan channel rage into redemption on the qualifier pitch?