Karachi, April 8 In a move that has come as a "shock" to the players, the Pakistan Hockey Federation has decided to replace their current head coach, Australian Colin Batch, with former Olympian Manzoor ul Hasan for the upcoming FIH Pro Nations League and the World Cup.
Sources close to the players said they were stunned to learn that instead of Batch, the PHF had appointed Manzoor as the head coach.
Manzoor is a celebrated defender who played in the 70s and 80s. A player, on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that the PHF's decision was "a recipe for disaster".
"We were all happy that Colin Batch, who is a qualified coach and is aware of the modern requirements of hockey, would be guiding us in these two major events, including the World Cup, and now we are getting this shock," he said.
The interim PHF also named a national selection committee headed by another celebrated Olympian, Samiullah Khan.
The other selectors include Naeem Akhtar, Kashif Jawad, Muhammad Khalid, Nasir Ali, and Atif Bashir.
One source said that the players, some of whom are currently playing in foreign leagues, would soon try to speak to the interim President and convince him to hire a foreign coach.
Pakistan finally managed to qualify for the World Cup, which will be held in Belgium and the Netherlands in August, after eight long years when they played in the final of a qualifying tournament in Egypt.
The PHF said in a notification that all appointments had been made on the recommendation of the PHF Professional Development Committee, which includes two celebrated former captains, Hasan Sardar and Islahuddin Siddiqui.
The PHF also named Ayaz Mahmood as the head coach of the Pakistan junior team.
