Pakistan hockey captain Shakeel Ammad Butt has slammed the national federation following a chaotic tour of Australia. Butt revealed that the team was left without accommodation— forcing players to wander the streets and even wash dishes before heading out to play matches.
"Lawariso ki tarah ghumte rahe. Subhe ladke uthke breakfast bana rahe hai, 2-3 ghante bhartan wash kar rahe. Dimagi mareez bana diya. Hum kaise Pakistan k liye, mulk k liye perform kar sakte hai?" Shakeel Butt said in an explosive rant.
The PHF has drawn severe criticism after the state-run Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) confirmed it had given them more than 10 million rupees to arrange hotel accommodation of the national team in Australia.
The Pakistan hockey team had to wait for 13-14 hours at Sydney airport before their onward flight to Canberra. More disturbing reports came in when the team checked into its hotel ahead of the FIH Pro League matches.
The players had to wait for hours and roamed the streets before an accommodation was arranged for them. The next afternoon, they had to play their first match against Australia which the team lost 2-3. Pakistan all its matches during the Australia leg, losing to the hosts as well as Germany.
"What was pathetic was that even the Airbnb accommodation was arranged for 10 days when we had to stay for 13 days. We had to move into a cheaper residence after 10-days," Butt said.
The PSB Director-General Noor us Sabah told the media that they were preparing a detailed report for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after he ordered an inquiry into the whole fiasco.
