LAHORE, Sept 10: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) top brass has decided to select the Pakistan team by its own for the Hamburg Master tournament, to be held in Germany from Oct 2-5, as the finalisation of the national selection committee gets further delayed.

PHF secretary Asif Bajwa announced here on Wednesday that President Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Asif himself and head coach Jahangir Butt would select the team after the trials at the Hockey Club of Pakistan on Sept 12. The camp is already in progress in Karachi.

After the resignation of the previous selection committee, headed by Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui, the PHF could not consistute a new selection committee.

Islah and member selection committee Col. Mudassar Asghar resigned in the wake of the team’s dismal performance at the Beijing Olympics where they finished at the worst ever eighth spot.

“We don’t want to take any decision in haste, therefore it has been decided that the PHF will select the team on its own,” said Asif.

Besides Pakistan, the other participating countries in the 4-nation event are Malaysia, Belgium and hosts Germany.

“There is no major international assignment for the national team after the Hamburg Masters and the PHF has decided to continue the process of consultation with maximum hockey experts to come out with a suitable decision,” he said.

The PHF secretary said after Sept 12, the new selection committee with the entire new senior team management would be announced.

“Different names are being considered for the post of head coach, coach, manager and the national selection committee,” he said.

The previous head coach Khawaja Zakauddin and coach Naveed Alam also resigned after the Beijing Olympics.

Asked if the option of foreign coach was also under consideration, Asif said all options were open. “We are also negotiating with a foreign coach who may not have the same role which the team’s former Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans had in the past,” he said.

Oltmans, who could not deliver during his one-year tenure which ended with the 2004 Olympics Games, enjoyed full authority in selecting the boys, even for the training camps. The new foreign coach, if appointed, may not have such supreme powers.

The secretary said the PHF had no official information if the federal sports ministry had appointed any committee to probe Pakistan defeat in Beijing Olympics.

He said a decision would also be taken after the trials to call a general council meeting to get its approval for the new office-bearers.

Asif, who was appointed just weeks before the Beijing Olympics by the federal sports ministry in place of Khalid Mahmood in a somewhat controversial manner, is yet to get approval from the general body over his appointment.

Moreover, the post of senior vice president is also lying vacant after Khalid, who was elevated to the post, resigned on Saturday.

Agencies add: Thirty-four players, who are attending the national training camp now in progress at HCP, will appear in the trials, manager Jahangir Butt said on Wednesday.

Centre-forward Shabbir Ahmed will not be featuring in the trials as he has submitted a medical certificate while two Army players — full-back Mohammad Imran and Mohammad Rizwan — are currently in Korea with Army hockey team.

Jahangir, however expressed hope that both Imran and Rizwan would be reaching here on time to attend the trials.

Only eight players from the Beijing Olympics squad will be taking part in the trials. They are goalkeeper Nasir Ahmed, forwards Shakeel Abbasi, Shafqat Rasool, Mohammad Zubair, Waqas Sharif, half-back Rana Asif and full-back Mohammad Imran.

Two former Pakistan captains Rehan Butt and Salman Akbar have already left for Amsterdam to play in the Dutch League while Waqas Akbar and Abbas Haider have flown to Paris to play in the French League.