LAHORE: Former Pakistan hockey captain Manzoor Junior has demanded of the prime minister to dissolve the incumbent body of the Pakistan Hockey Federation and impose ad hoc on it after national team’s dismal performance in the ongoing Champions Trophy in Auckland, New Zealand.

Pakistan went 5-0 down against Germany on Saturday and will now play for the seventh position in the eight-team event.

Talking to Dawn, Manzoor said chief selector Olympian Hanif Khan should resign from his post instead of giving unfair explanations to defend himself.

“I appeal to the patron-in-chief of the PHF, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, to dissolve the incapable body of the federation forthwith and impose ad hoc on it,” Manzoor said.

“Instead of giving statements, Hanif should show courage and character to resign from his post,” he demanded.

“I, as a member of the Executive Board of the PHF, had resigned after Qasim Zia-led management called back Shahid Ali Khan and other coaches who were responsible for Pakistan’s worst performance at the 2010 World Cup.

“But just after three months of the debacle, Shahid was called back to be appointed as goalkeeping coach, just because he was their favourite,” said Manzoor, under whose captaincy Pakistan won the gold medal in the 1984 Los Angles Olympics.

“At the time of resigning as member of the executive board, I had predicted that Pakistan would be among the last three teams in the Champions Trophy if they do not mend their ways,” he reiterated.

He said the current management should also be sacked because coach Michel van den Heuvel brought the team down instead of improving its standard during the last two years.

“Heuvel has no standing in his own country (Holland) but we have given him free hand but all have resulted in disaster and if the same people will remain attached with the game, the nation will see worst situation,” Manzoor claimed.

“Pakistan could not win a match against any European team, including England, which is considered a weak side. It is because our standard has declined,” he blasted.

He said there was no need for such people who were only good at obeying the orders of the authorities but those who were committed to the national cause. He said the nation would not pardon PHF officials for doing blunders repeatedly.

The former captain said the government had invested millions of rupees on hockey but all went in vain. “The nation will see similar results in the Olympics, which are just seven months away, if the government fails to take timely action.”

He claimed Pakistan’s players were technically sound but they lacked in fitness, which was required for competing internationally. “But our coach does not know this. He has failed to engage our players in activities which could enhance their fitness and stamina,” he said.

“The Dutch coach should be made accountable for his performance during the last two years,” Manzoor added.

He said the European teams had edge over Pakistan because they were supreme fit. He said the domestic structure of Pakistan had been destroyed and the PHF had also failed to find young talent through its academies.

“If the PHF had found talented players from these academies, it would have been able to replace ageing players like Sohail Abbas, Waseem Ahmad, Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi,” he said.