“Though I carry much respect for the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Sports, I really want to say that we have been treated rather unfairly. I say punish us if you are unhappy with our performance or if we do something wrong on the field like getting involved in a brawl with an umpire or another player. But not on a silly thing like having our pictures taken with our liaison officer.” -Photo by AP

KARACHI Pakistan hockey team Coach Shahid Ali Khan has said that the boys will be focusing completely on their training and performance instead of paying any heed to silly controversies.

Speaking to Dawn from Sialkot after wrapping up the third day's training camp at the Sialkot Hockey Stadium, the former Olympian goalkeeper said “We are all looking forward to playing the two Tests with the Netherlands in Doha. They will be very important matches for us as they'll help us pinpoint our weaknesses and strong points before the World Cup in India.”

The team will be playing two Tests with the Netherlands team in Doha, Qatar, the neutral venue selected by both sides for the purpose on Jan 20 and 21. The Hockey World Cup in New Delhi, India, will be played from Feb 28 to March 13.

“Besides working on their fitness, we are trying to cover all the tactical things during this camp with an emphasis on short corners. The boys, too, are working in earnest.

“They need plenty of match practice also as they would be getting to play different level matches at the World Cup, which is why we will be splitting them and making them play a lot of matches among themselves between the morning and evening sessions. As we are also pressed for time, the regular training, too, will continue along with the match practice,” he explained.

About the recent controversy and its effect on their emotional health ahead of an important series and the mega event, the coach said “Well, it isn't good for them or us.”

He added “Though I carry much respect for the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Sports, I really want to say that we have been treated rather unfairly. I say punish us if you are unhappy with our performance or if we do something wrong on the field like getting involved in a brawl with an umpire or another player. But not on a silly thing like having our pictures taken with our liaison officer.”

The coach was reacting to the committee's session a day earlier where it under Jamshed Dasti's chairmanship recommended fines of Rs100,000 for experienced striker Rehan Butt along with Rs50,000 each for both him and the team Manager Asif Bajwa for getting involved in unethical activities during the recent Champions Challenge Cup Tournament in Argentina.