SELECTORS have axed three senior hockey players, Salman Akbar, Mohammad Imran and Waseem Ahmad, for the Olympic Games training camp. It seems a right decision taken quite late. But, as they say, better late than never.

However, the existence of the selection committee has put a big question mark over imported coach Michel van Heuvel, who has a two-year contract with the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

In Europe it is a standard practice that coach enjoys sweeping selection powers. But, unfortunately, when these European coaches join squads in developing countries, they compromise on everything. Van Heuvel has also compromised on that principle.

If we have a selection committee despite having a foreign coach, then what’s the point in having an import?

Pakistan hockey has suffered in the past having Dutchman Roelant Oltmans who came to Pakistan on a 12-month contract. He too continued despite having a ‘selection committee’. He left for his home for some other lucrative contract after Pakistan finished at fifth place at Olympics.

Oltmans earned thousands of euros, while van Heuvel must also be getting a handsome amount, although the PHF keeps it a secret. Both Oltmans and van Heuvel, who usually sign a long-term (four-year) contract with European teams, were in Pakistan on short-term assignments. The question is why they opted for short-term contracts when they knew they would not be able to produce results.

Former Pakistan hockey captain Islahuddin has criticised selectors for discarding three players (Feb19). He claims that it is the first time in the history that any senior player, who was part of the previous tournament, has not been invited for training camp.

He argues the three players should have been tested in the training camp. Perhaps he is not aware that many senior players like Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Nadeem and many others had been sidelined in the past.

In fact, Islah has contradicted himself by saying that Zeeshan Ashraf had been ignored for training camp in the past. The argument is weak for the selectors took the decision after watching the players in the national championship, which is the toughest test for any player instead of a training camp.

Islah has been leading the disgruntled group of Olympians who have been rallying against the PHF after they failed to become a part of the system. Olympics is a big event and mudslinging at this stage would do more harm than good.

JAMEEL MAZHARKarachi