Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry into the mismanagement of the national hockey team’s troubled tour of Australia after captain Ammad Shakeel Butt admitted that he lied in a viral video about the team’s situation.
Sharif, who is also the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), took notice of the controversy after reports emerged that the players were left without proper accommodation during the tour.
Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director-General Noor Us Sabah told the media that they were preparing a detailed report for the Prime Minister after he ordered an enquiry into the entire debacle. Sources said immediate action would be taken against those found responsible.
The controversy began when a video surfaced on social media showing Pakistan players standing on the streets of Sydney with their luggage. Soon after the video went viral, Butt released another clip claiming that everything was fine and there were no problems in terms of their stay.
However, after returning to Lahore, Butt admitted that the earlier video was a cover-up and openly criticised the federation’s management. “We can’t work with this current management of the federation. When players have to clean the kitchen and wash dishes before going to play a match what result do you expect from us?” a visibly angry Butt said.
During the tour, he alleged that the team not only had to wander the streets due to a lack of accommodation but also “wash dishes before playing a match.”
The PHF has faced severe backlash after the PSB confirmed it had provided over Rs 10 million to arrange hotel accommodation for the national team in Australia.
According to reports, the Pakistan squad had to wait 13-14 hours at Sydney airport before catching a connecting flight to Canberra. When the team reached its hotel ahead of the FIH Pro League matches, players were informed that they had no booking because no advance payment had been made to the hotel management.
The players waited for hours and roamed the streets before accommodation was finally arranged. The very next afternoon, Pakistan played their first match against Australia and lost 2-3. The team went on to lose all its matches during the Australia leg, including fixtures against both the hosts and Germany, capping a difficult tour both on and off the field.
