The Pakistan Squash Federation’s decision to impose ban on three leading players seems to have been taken in haste and is an unprecedented act following Pakistan’s dismal performance in the 23rd World Team Championship in August at Paderborn, Germany. The organisation simply made the players scapegoat instead of analysing the causes of the steep decline in our standards.

Aamir Atlas Khan and Yasir Butt, both former World Junior championship runners-up, were banned for two and one year respectively, while Waqar Mahboob was given a ban for six months. Team manager Wing Commander Irfan Asghar, who is the PSF secretary, and another player Nasir Iqbal were issued warning by the PSF Executive committee.

According to media reports, the manager submitted his report along with the video clippings and all the four members of the team were invited to answers questions put to them about the poor show. The meeting lasted for about eight hours and the committee came to the conclusion that the players under performed in the championship and imposed ban on the three players with no right to appeal to PSF president, Chief of the Air Staff Rao Qamar Suleman. They were also disallowed from participating in national and international tournaments and no financial support and sponsorship will be provided to them.

It still remains unclear whether these players would be allowed to compete in the Professional Squash Association (PSA)-sanctioned tournaments for bettering their ranking on their own tour expenses.

Pakistan’s defeat in the World Team Championship where they failed to qualify for the second stage of 16-team contest was humiliating not just because the team stood 22nd in a tournament that included 32 nations, but also because it showed that the team was not fully trained and prepared. For example, the team needed a qualified coach but this was ignored by the PSF and so, there was no one to rightly assess and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents to guide the players. It is here that the federation seems to have made a mistake.

Twelve years ago, the six times champions Pakistan stood 12th in the 1999 World Team Championship held in Cairo. This was the first warning to the PSF about the falling standard of squash in Pakistan after the retirement of the two legendary Khans, Jahangir and Jansher. It’s been 18 years since the former’s retirement, and Pakistan is still struggling to regain the title. This is nothing, but a poor reflection of those running the show, but who remain immune from accountability with the result that Pakistan, once a great squash power, remains a toothless tiger even at the Asian level.

Banning the players will not help in bettering the performance unless we broaden the base of selection by taking the game to the grass roots level across the country. We have talented youngsters, but the federation and its affiliated units are not functioning on proper lines in spotting the talent.

It is important that the PSF chief reviews the decision of banning the players for their under performance since it often happens that many outstanding performers are outplayed by opponents who are considered no match for them. In the interest of national squash, it would be better if the banned players are issued a warning and asked to professionally commit themselves to perform better in the future.