Pakistan captain Imad Shakeel Butt (Image credit: X)
NEW DELHI: The struggling Pakistani hockey team has suffered another setback ahead of the final of the FIH Pro League in England, with regular captain Imad Shakeel Butt set to miss the tour due to visa issues.According to a Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) official, Imad’s visa application has been rejected, while head coach Manzurul Hasan is still awaiting clearance.
Pakistan is scheduled to leave for England, where it will play four matches against England and India starting June 23.This development comes at a difficult time for Pakistan, which lost all 11 matches in the professional league this season to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
The team now faces the risk of relegation from the first division of the competition.PHF officials said Imad was denied a visa because he had previously overstayed in England while playing club hockey. The overstay reportedly occurred due to a misunderstanding with the club he represented during his six-month spell in the country.There were also reports that Imad had once applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom.
However, the PHF official said he could not independently verify the allegations.With Imad absent, senior player Abu Bakr is expected to captain the team during England’s match in the tournament.There is also uncertainty about the training setting. If Manzoor Al Hasan does not get his visa in time, former Pakistan international Tahir Zaman may take charge of the team during the matches in England.Pakistan’s poor performance in the IPL has already drawn criticism from former players and fans. Questions were also raised about the decision to appoint 74-year-old Manzoor as the team’s coach and to rely entirely on a local support staff, especially with the start of the Hockey World Cup next August.Visa issues have now added another challenge to the team that is desperate for a change ahead of the World Cup.
