KARACHI, March 1: Full-back Zeeshan Ashraf replaced Salman Akbar as the new Pakistan captain while temperamental centre-half Mohammad Saqlain as expected earned manager Khawaja Zakauddin’s nod in an 18-member hockey squad for China tour that was finalised by the selection committee on Saturday.

Saqlain, the hot-headed half-back, has been drafted back into the squad after a strong recommendation by Zaka who refused to talk on the selection of the controversial and aging player.

“The team has been selected by the selection committee and myself. Saqlain is very much in the team, but I don’t want to talk any more on this issue at all,” Zaka told Dawn from Lahore.

Saqlain was dropped by manager Islahuddin Siddiqui from the 2000 Sydney Olympics squad for misconduct. He was then axed from the 2004 Athens Games squad by coach Roelant Oltmans after he hit teammate Adnan Maqsood in an ugly incident.

After getting a one-match suspension for injuring a South Korean player during the Azlan Shah Cup, the centre-half was finally slapped a three-match suspension and a 100-euro fine by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) when he seriously injured Australia’s Victory Craig at 2005 Hamburg Masters.

Interestingly, Zaka had earlier said that Saqlain had not been called up for last year’s Champions Trophy owing to negative reports from previous team officials.

But overall, Zaka has been pressing for the inclusion of the controversial player for quite a long time and one of the selectors — Samiullah — said the player had been included on Zaka’s insistence.

“It was Zaka who had asked us [selectors] for Saqlain, although all the selectors had expressed reservations. I personally felt that Pakistan should look beyond Olympics. In that case, Saqlain’s inclusion looked illogical.

“But finally we gave up and decided to take a chance as the manager said centre-half Adnan Maqsood did not do well in the Champions Trophy. He wanted Adnan replace by Saqlain, hoping that the team will be able to perform better in China and the Olympics,” Sami said.

Sami, however, admitted that Beijing Games would be the last event of Saqlain’s chequered career and the team was not expected to win any medals there.

“We [the selectors] wanted to give Adnan, Imran, Kashif and Dilawar a fair chance and it was us and not the Pakistan Hockey Federation [PHF] chief Zafarullah Jamali who sent the players during the camp.”

Zaka also confirmed that the four players were unimpressive at the Trophy but contradicted Sami when he said, “the four players were sent by PHF president.

“Nobody came except Kashif. He came on trials day and went home,” the manager said while expressing his annoyance on the decision regarding the four players.

Forward Mohammad Zubair is also back in the squad although chief selector Islahuddin had also dropped him earlier, saying “the player doesn’t have serious approach for training”.

Surprisingly, former captain Rehan Butt who was axed from the Champions Trophy squad has also been named in the team.

While forward Akhtar Ali has also been ousted and Atiq has replaced Kashif, junior team players Irfan Aslam, Fareed Ahmad and Shafqat Rasool will also don national senior colours on the tour.

But the most glaring omission is that of promising centre-forward Haseem Khan as selectors opted to retain two spearheads — Shakeel Abbasi and Shabbir Ahmad — at the same time which does not appear to be a wise decision.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Salman Akbar, Nasir Ahmad.

Full-backs: Zeeshan Ashraf (captain), Mohammad Atiq, Kamran.

Half-backs: Irfan Aslam, Mohammad Saqlain, Fareed Ahmad, Waqas Zafar, Mohammad Imran.

Forwards: Waqas Sharif, Waqas Akbar, Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Zubair, Abbas Haider, Shafqat Rasool and Shabbir Ahmad.

Officials: Khawaja Zakauddin (manager), Naveed Alam and Mohammad Shahbaz (coaches).