Pakistan’s performance in the FIH Pro League has once again exposed the deep-rooted problems confronting the country’s national hockey programme.

In the third and fourth legs of the competition, held in Wavre, Belgium, and London, England, the Green Shirts produced results no different from those recorded in the first two legs. They lost all eight matches, scoring just nine goals and conceding 42.

The problems were glaring: poor coordination, inaccurate passing, unforced errors that led to penalty corners, and an apparent inability to sustain intensity for the full 60 minutes. On several occasions, Pakistan scored first and even held the lead for a considerable period. Yet the team repeatedly conceded goals in the third and fourth quarters. The question inevitably arises: was a lack of physical fitness a major factor?

One particularly disturbing weakness persisted throughout the competition. Ball possession is fundamental to modern team sports such as hockey and football. It allows a team to control the tempo, reduce defensive risks, tire the opposition and build attacks intelligently.

With the Men’s Hockey World Cup set to begin on August 14, given Team Pakistan’s current form, not much can be expected from it. But there are encouraging signs that a longer-term vision is finally taking shape under the Pakistan Hockey Federation. More, however, still needs to be done…

With the Men’s Hockey World Cup set to begin on August 14, given Team Pakistan’s current form, not much can be expected from it. But there are encouraging signs that a longer-term vision is finally taking shape under the Pakistan Hockey Federation. More, however, still needs to be done…

Yet Pakistan repeatedly surrendered possession cheaply. On average, players attempted around 10 long aerial balls from their own 23-metre area towards the opposition’s 23-metre area in each match. In most cases, no more than one of these passes was successfully received by a teammate. The rest simply handed possession to the opposition.

This is not modern hockey.

CHANGES IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) appears to have recognised that part-time coaching arrangements and outdated methods cannot produce results. It has taken a major step by replacing the home-based coaching set-up with a five-member panel comprising foreign specialists and a........

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