KARACHI, 4 April 2008 —Just when one thought it couldn’t get any worse for Pakistan hockey came the latest shocker: the national selectors are on a collision course with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the team management.

A day after the PHF named a 33-man preliminary squad for a couple of pre-Olympic assignments in May and June, came the announcement from chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui that the list is illegal.

Islah, a former Olympian told Arab News that he and fellow selector Samillah Khan will meet soon to discuss the issue and recommend their own list for the national training camp for an approval from PHF President Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Pakistan are to select their 18-man squad for the twin tour of Malaysia and Europe where they are to feature in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, a four-nation contest (Ireland) and a series of test matches.

The farcical turn of events this week means that any slim chance Pakistan had of winning a hockey medal at this August’s Beijing Olympics has been literally blown away.

At a time when the performance of the Pakistan team is touching rock bottom, the one thing that the Greenshirts needed the most was a high morale and loads of self confidence.

But with the senior leadership of the national hockey set-up bickering over the formation of the pre-Olympic pool, it doesn’t need a genius to figure out that something is seriously wrong with the hockey administration.

Islah is laying the blame on PHF secretary Khalid Mehmood and Pakistan’s head coach Khawaja Zakauddin, the man who replaced him (Islah) a few weeks back and took the role of supervising Pakistan’s preparations for the Beijing Games.

He says that the two released the list of probables for the national training camp without even discussing it with the selectors. “It’s beyond my comprehension as to how anybody could just bypass us,” said a visibly upset Islah. “I mean Zaka was the chief selector himself and knows the standard procedure,” he added.

Islah said that he kept waiting for a fax carrying the probables’ list which was supposed to be sent by the PHF office in Lahore to him for approval of the selectors.

But the fax never came. “I was actually told by someone at the Hockey Club (of Pakistan) yesterday that the PHF has already announced the list at a time when I was discussing the possibility of including some players from the Under-21 team with the junior squad manager (Jahangir Butt),” said Islah.

The chief selector was left fuming and contacted senior PHF officials. “All I was told is that there was a communication problem,” he said.

The selectors have decided to respond by releasing their own list of players for the training camp which will get underway early nest month in Lahore.

“Sami and I will sit down tomorrow to discuss the list and will take input for Col. Mudassar Asghar (the third selector) and also from Zaka,” said Islah.

The former Pakistan captain is extremely disappointed at being snubbed in such a manner but so far there is no talk of any resignations.

The PHF’s comedy or errors began when they made Islah and Zaka, formerly head coach and chief selector respectively to swap responsibilities earlier this year. Then they changed the coaches and the captain. And now this.

And all of it is happening in an Olympic year in a country that has in its bag three Olympic titles. Pakistan has a big reputation to defend but it seems that nobody in the current PHF setup cares.

The clock is ticking for Pakistan but it’s obvious that the only ones not listening are the ones running what is the country’s national game.