RAWALPINDI, Nov 15: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) continued its experimentation with the national team bringing in a new set of selectors and appointing former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh as coach.

The president of PHF, Gen Muhammad Aziz Khan, flanked by secretary Brig. Musarratullah Khan Friday announced the changes in the team management and the selection committee, saying these were aimed at reviving the sport and to see Pakistan flag fluttering on the world stage again.

Tahir Zaman will assist Shahnaz, who returns to coach the side for the second time while little-known Col (Retd) Shahid Jafri will be the manager, replacing Zafar Ali Zafri, who had resigned after the Busan Asiad where Pakistan took fourth place failing to win a medal for the first time ever.

Tahir has been demoted to the rank of assistant coach after his side proved to be a disappointment in the Manchester Commonwealth Games and the Champions Trophy in Cologne, both tournaments yielding just bronze medals.

But Gen Aziz quickly defended Tahir and said that he was a “very capable member” of the team while also praising former manager Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar under whose command Pakistan won a six-nation tournament in Kuala Lumpur just before the World Cup last March. “The previous managements put in their best while handling the team and we were fully satisfied with their efforts.”

He however explained that to make a winning combination, the technical and physical aspects of the players had to be improved and it was with this in mind that they were now trying to mix skill with experience in naming the new managers.

Former Olympian Akhtar Rasul was appointed the head of the selection committee with Hasan Sardar, Saeed Khan and Saleem Nazim as its members. The previous chairman of selectors, sports minister Col (Retd) SK Tressler, had requested to be relieved of his duties, Gen Aziz said.

Sami Khan was appointed the manager of the Pakistan Whites that will have Khawaja Junaid as its coach and Qamar Ibrahim as his deputy. Junaid also coached the Pakistan team at the Kuala Lumpur World Cup.

The management of the junior team will comprise Col Rauf with Ayaz Mahmood as coach and two deputies in Asif Bajwa and Salman Wahab. Bajwa was previously the assistant coach of the national team.

Gen Aziz said the changes that had been made were part of the review he had said would be carried out at the end of the year. “We have now completed that review.”

The performance of the new management will be assessed again in a year’s time although the objective was the 2004 Athens Olympics, he said.

The general dismissed the notion that the performance graph of the national team had shown a downward trend. “We have done better in the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, only in the Asian Games we couldn’t do well.”

He emphasised that all decisions had been taken with the specific aim of becoming world-beaters again and that no politics had been allowed to creep in while making the new appointments.

Asked if a foreign coach was the need of the hour, he said he did not have any reservations in doing so but stressed he wanted that a stage should come when the country is able to send its own coaches abroad to train foreigners. “Hiring a foreign coach is expensive and the PHF is not rich enough to do so.”

He also spoke of the Pakistan-India hockey series. “It is not confirmed yet but we have told them formally that they have to have political clearance. We feel that the revival of hockey between the two countries is good for both parties.”

Meanwhile Shahnaz Sheikh who was on national duty previously in 1999-2000 for six months, told Dawn that his immediate task would be to help the team achieve consistency; an element he felt was missing. “One day the boys play so well while another day they just seem to give up as if they fear something. They have acceptability but need to learn how to adopt to things.”

Tahir said that he foresaw no problems working with Shahnaz in his new role as assistant coach. “I want to serve Pakistan hockey as long as I can, designations do not matter.”

Our Lahore Correspondent adds: Newly-appointed chief selector, and former president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Akhtar Rasool Friday said senior players found capable to deliver till 2004 Athens Olympics would be retained.

The former captain said he would watch the players of Whites and junior training camps and in three-team league contest from Dec 20 before accumulating a pool for the national squad.

He vowed to select the team on merit to rebuild a strong outfit for the Athens Games.

“I will select the team on merit and without bowing down to pressures from any quarter,” said Akhtar, who was PHF chief in 1999,

Akhtar said hockey would be his first priority and he would fully devote himself to the game.

He said he had accepted his new role in the PHF as a hockey lover despite the fact his present position in the federation was a demotion.