KARACHI Newly-appointed Pakistan hockey coach Michel van den Heuvel and the national selectors seemed to be on a collision course when the Dutchman refused to divulge who would select the squad but said he would discuss the matter with the administrators.
The coach, who arrived on Monday to take charge of the national training camp for the Europe tour, said there were several matters related to his role and selection was one of the points to be discussed with Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).
“There are several things which I need to discuss with the PHF and who will select the team is surely one of them. It is a good question, who will select the team,” Heuvel told Dawn.com after his first training session with the team at Hockey Club of Pakistan while evading the question and giving a direct answer.
He responded when it was pointed out to him that as none of the professional coaches nowadays allow interference in selection affairs, would he accept the national selection committee which has been ruling the roost since its formation recently and discarded several experienced players for the Azlan Shah Cup last month.
Heuvel's answer to the question about selection raises two questions. First, if one considers usual practice by professional hockey coaches, they never compromise on selection matters and discuss in detail all terms and conditions before joining the squad. But in Heuvel's case, his credibility seems to be questionable as he would be talking with the PHF on such a vital issue after his arrival in Pakistan and joining the camp.
Secondly, if Heuvel is really serious about exerting pressure and telling the PHF that he would not tolerate any interference in the selection matters, then he surely is on a collision path with the selection committee.
Chief selector Hanif Khan has already laid down the gauntlet and says if the foreign coach did not accept the selection committee then either he would quit or the Dutchman would have to leave.
“I had said very clearly when PHF was trying to hire (Paul) Lissek and would once again say that if any foreign coach refuses to accept existence of selection committee, then either I will quit or the coach will have to pack up and leave,” said Hanif while talking to Dawn.com.
The 1984 Olympic gold medallist, however, said he would welcome Heuvel's and manager's input before announcing the future squads, but the Dutchman would not be allowed to impose his will or disregard the selection committee.
“I have made it clear that the selection committee not the coach will select and announce the squad. If he (Heuvel) refuses to accept the selection committee, then let the time come and the everything will be clear,” said Hanif.
The current scenario has indeed put Heuvel in a Catch-22 as if he accepts the selection committee, he will put a big question mark on his credibility but if he refuses to budge, he might face a showdown with the selectors.
Selection committee has been reigning supreme and even axed five veterans - Rehan Butt, Sohail Abbas, Waseem Ahmad, Shakeel Abbasi, and Akhtar Ali - for the Azlan Shah Cup over what it believed was their poor form.
Interestingly, Heuvel, who has been given charge of the green shirts says he expects to win not before 2012 London Olympics, an event after which his contract ends.
“My target is to see Pakistan win and it's not the Asian Games but in London that I expect them to win, although at the Games there will be no European squads,” said Heuvel without explaining how he would be able to transform a 12th-place team at the World Cup into winners in just 24 months.
Heuvel told reporters that while the players had “tremendous potential” he was also seeing “some silly tackling mistakes.” It is incomprehensible how the Dutchman would transform into winners the group of players who have played hockey for some 10 years but still make “silly tackling mistakes.”
At the training session, the Dutchman ordered young and experienced players to form separate eight-man sides and made them play three short games in which the seniors remained unimpressive and even lost the first game 2-0 despite having stars, Shakeel Abbasi and former Pakistan captains Rehan, Waseem, Zeeshan Ashraf, and Muhammad Imran.
Although the seniors were mediocre, Heuvel parried the question when asked was he evaluating the performances of seniors and juniors by forming two separate squads.
“As I didn't have the idea about the age of the players, I just wanted to check out who's younger. You know, sometimes an 18-year-old doesn't look like his age,” he said
Heuvel's last assignment was with the Dutch squad which finished third at the World Cup in New Delhi in March. The Dutchman has been hired on an undisclosed but a hefty amount only after top-rated coaches Paul Lissek and Barry Dancer refused to join Pakistan owing to security concerns.
Sources said the Dutchman was in Lahore on May 28 for discussions with the PHF when 95 people belonging to the Ahmadi community were killed in an attack reportedly carried out by the Taliban.
Apart from Sohail, almost all the probables have reported, but Heuvel did not seem to be bothered by the absence of penalty corner striker.
“I would like to see every talented player in the camp. I like to see Sohail also in the camp. But as he is also like other players and if he is a player having potential, then other players in the camp also have potential,” said the coach.
Team manager Manzoor Hussain said neither Sohail contacted him nor was he aware of his whereabouts.
Pakistan are training for the Europe's tour to will play matches in Spain and the Netherlands from July 7 to 26. The team is expected to be announced in the first week of July.
