KARACHI, 29 February 2008 — If there ever was a time for a few heads to roll in the national squash set up, it is now.
Just when one thought that Pakistan — once the most successful nation in world squash — have touched rock bottom, came the news that minnows Kuwait have humiliated them 2-0 in the semifinals of the Asian Team Championships on home soil.
It was a result that not even the harshest of Pakistan squash’s critics could have predicted. After all, the former champions were supposed to be head and shoulders above all the other competing nations in the regional event except for defending champions Malaysia.
But it is a disaster that was waiting to happen.
Poor policies by the top officials of the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), infighting within the leading players and pathetic planning had led to what is perhaps the worst beating suffered by Pakistan on a squash court.
Just weeks before the start of the tournament, top Pakistani players including Aamir Atlas Khan and Mansoor Zaman boycotted the national trials and were subsequently banned by the PSF. The federation then turned towards players it had previously discarded as spent force. They appointed Shahid Zaman as the new Pakistan captain and fielded a second string team in the Asian event that included Yasir Butt, Majid Khan and Bilal Zaman.
Pakistan went on to flop in both the individual and team events in Kuwait. In the individual contest neither of their players could make it to the final which turned out to be an All-Malaysian affair.
The Pakistani players fared even miserably in the team event where they featured at the wrong end of the biggest upset in the 27-year history of the Asian championship.
The Kuwaitis, who have learned their squash mainly from Pakistani coaches, blanked Pakistan in the last four to deny the region’s long-time rulers of squash a place in the final for the first time.
Pakistan, who once held the record of most world team titles (six), had dominated the Asian Championships after winning the inaugural edition held in 1981.
Their absolute grip on the title ended finally in 2000 when they lost in the final of the team event to Malaysia. But since then they have always reached the final, at times winning the title or losing close battles against Malaysia.
But this time, they were stunned by a rival against whom they should have beaten effortlessly.
But Kuwaiti heroes Salem Mohammed and Abdullah Almezayen made sure Pakistan would not be battling it for the title in the 14th edition of the tournament.
The 20-year-old Salem, who was ranked world No. 253 in June 2006, shocked Pakistan’s world No 69 Yasir Butt 9-7, 9-5, 3-9, 4-9, 9-7 in 78 minutes.
Almezayen then fought back from two games down to overcome Pakistan No. 1 Shahid Zaman 6-9, 5-9, 9-3, 9-5, 9-2 in 67 minutes to achieve Kuwait’s mission impossible.
Kuwait will now meet Malaysia in the final after the defending champions beat India 2-0 in the other semifinal.
For Pakistan, it is high time to decide whether they want to survive as a leading squash-playing nation at least at the regional level.
If they do, a massive change at the top level is required as the current bosses of the PSF appear incapable of running national squash affairs in a proper manner. Otherwise, two years from now Pakistan could end up losing to lowly teams like Macau in the Asian Championships.
