PTI SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2003 01:30:14 PM ]
KUALA LUMPUR: Sledging is not limited to cricket alone and it rears its face, albeit not an ugly one, during hockey matches especially involving staunch rivals India and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Sohail Abbas, arguably the world’s best drag flicker, revealed this aspect of the game and said his team often resorted to sledging to unsettle the Indians in hockey matches.
“When we have the upperhand in the game, we try to unsettle the Indians by verbal sparring. Sledging is a part of modern hockey though not many people may know about it,” Sohail said in an interview to PTI here on Saturday.
With India and Pakistan matches invariably being high-voltage affairs, even a minor lapse in concentration could become the difference between national pride and humiliation and Sohail said this was the reason why both teams try to play on each other’s minds.
“We know which players are volatile in the Indian team – Gagan Ajit Singh, Prabhjot Singh and Jugraj Singh – and target them for sledging. They also know that in our team Saqlain Mohammed, goalkeeper Ahmed Alam and Ali Raza are hot tempered and get worked up easily,” the 24-year-old player said.
And when matters go out of hand, as it happened during India’s 7-4 victory against Pakistan during the August Champions Trophy, it is Sohail and Indian captain Dhanraj Pillay who try to cool things down.
“It is the job of the two of us (Dhanraj and Sohail) to separate the players and prevent them from coming to blows some times,” said the ace defender, the highest goal scorer for Pakistan ever.
But Sohail reminded that the cut-throat rivalry is limited to the hockey field and the players do not carry the grudge after the game.
“After the game we are friends. We exchange CDs and all. ‘Koi kisi ke liye saree lata hai aur koi mithai’ (some bring sarees while others get sweets). We go out to dinner together too. Unfortunately people don’t get to see this aspect of our lives.”
Sohail blamed the attitude of the Indian and Pakistani fans for creating so much hype around India-Pakistan matches.
"They make it an issue of national pride. For them it is like going to war. Back home the thinking is it does not matter even if you finish sixth but you must beat India. It could be the same in India… it is actually sad and such an attitude must go.
“Sports has to be taken in sporting spirit. Sometimes you win and sometimes you may lose. Our people cannot tolerate defeat at the hands of India. One must be mature enough to accept defeat. We also get to hear that Pakistan won the match so there was firing across the border and someone died. It really hurts. We are not playing to hear all this.”
Sohail feels that one way to make India-Pakistan matches like any other regular outing was that both teams should meet each other more often on the hockey ground.
“We should play each other more and more so that people don’t make a big deal out of it all. This will also help them to accept defeats as we are also human and we cannot win every time we play against India,” Sohail said.
With India and Pakistan meeting in the final of the Asia Cup Tournament here on Sunday, the excitement is again building up and Sohail said it was difficult to predict who would win the match.
“Hockey is a game of one day. On paper our team is better but whichever team plays well on the day will win. It is all about availing the chances. Both the teams have come to win the Asia Cup and it will be an exciting match,” he said.
Sohail said the standard of hockey in both India and Pakistan has come down because of the insistence of the authorities to stick to the old style of playing the game.
“European teams try to learn after every loss while we fret all the time and like to live in past glory instead of taking up to new techniques.”
“We should have foreign coaches who are very professional and aware of the latest techniques,” Sohail said, adding Pakistan’s present coach Tahir Zaman was doing a very good job.
"We were a little apprehensive and sceptical when Tahir Zaman took over as a coach. We thought Pakistan hockey will again go down in the rut. Players are sceptical about former players taking over as coaches because there is a negative thinking that he may promote his own players on regional or religious lines.
“Even if it may not be the case one or two players in the squad of 16 are bound to feel that way. But fortunately Tahir is the best coach that Pakistan has had ever. His approach is very scientific and positive,” Sohail said.
“What we need is a foreign coach who can assist Tahir,” Sohail said while denying suggestion that such an arrangement could lead to clash of interests.
“I am confident there would be no clash and they will work in tandem because I know Tahir’s way of working. He does not belong to the school of thought that if you make the players run for four hours irrespective of whether it is hot and sunny, he will play well in the one hour (of the match).”
Sohail said India and Pakistan could become invincible if they change their age-old approach to the game and play with fresh ideas.He said one of the reasons why Pakistan hockey was not at the top was there was no proper management. "They will send us to every tournament. Actually they must plan it out and send the senior team in only the important outings.
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