National Players Lacked Fitness And Seemed Confused During The Best Part of the Encounter - - Islahuddin Commented on Pakistan Performance

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Islahuddin Siddiqui on Thursday questioned national hockey management’s claims that their team has achieved substantial improvement, saying that the Greenshirts looked unprepared for a huge event like the World Cup.

Commenting on Pakistan’s performance in their 2-5 loss against England in a crucial World Cup game in New Delhi, Islah said that the national players lacked fitness and seemed confused during the best part of the encounter.

“It was quite visible that our players were not at par with England as far as their fitness was concerned,” said Islah, one of Pakistan’s most successful captains of all time. “I mean they were pretty tired in the last 15 minutes of the match and were even unable to get to the ball. It seems that they’ve not prepared well for a tournament like the World Cup,” he stressed.

Islah, also a former Pakistan coach, said that the national team was also unable to come out with a proper strategy to win the match.

“In fact, it seemed that there was no strategy. The players looked confused. Our midfield was in tatters. Waseem (Ahmed) who is supposed to be our playmaker and centre-half was floating all over the place without performing his main job in the centre. It was really bad.”

Islah said that after suffering defeats against India and England, only a miracle can help Pakistan reach the semifinals. “We should have beaten India and I think we should have also won against England,” he said. “But now we are in a difficult situation and only a miracle can save our World Cup campaign.”

Pakistan have to play South Africa and Australia in their remaining two games and need to win both of them, preferably by good margins to have some hopes of making the cut for the last-four stage. Even if they do it, Pakistan will have to pray that the results of the other Pool B matches go in their favour.

Before going to New Delhi Pakistan manager Asif Bajwa had declared that the World Cup wasn’t his team’s main goal adding that the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is instead targeting the Asian Games to be held in China later this year.

Islah, however, believes that Bajwa and company were offering excuses even before the start of the World Cup.

“You can’t go and play in the World Cup without making it a target. It’s foolish to say that you are going there just to take part in it,” he said. “Even minor teams like Canada and South Africa see World Cup as their target and compete in it with the best possible preparations. How can a country like Pakistan, with four world titles, can just relax and say that the World Cup is not our target. It’s just beyond my comprehension.”