What a loss for Pakistan! We rely heavily on Sohail Abbas for success and he still has age on his side. I think he can play until next world cup in 2006. Stupid decision to say the least but thats his!
On the other hand Wasim Ahmad was a true soul of Pakistan team in the late nineties. Sohail and Wasim WERE the reasons pakistan won Azlaan shah tournaments and got to Semifinals in Sydney.
I, for one, will surely miss Sohail’s thunderous drag flicks. Hope his record stays with him forever.
"Pakistan hockey captain Wasim Ahmed and world record goal scorer Sohail Abbas have announced retirements from international hockey Sunday after Pakistan clinched its third successive bronze medal at the men’s field hockey Champions Trophy.
Abbas, 28, had began his international hockey career against India and announced quitting international hockey again after a match against India.
Talking with Geo Sohail Abbas said he had already decided to quit hockey so connecting his retirement with defeat in Champions Trophy was not true. “I had already set a target for my life and the decision is not in contrast to it”, Abbas said.
Responding a question he said “I just want to take rest because I feel I have played lot of hockey,‘’ said Abbas. He said he will not go back to his decision as he has played lot of hockey in lost seven years.
“If the need be I will certainly come back for the 2006 world cup hockey but seeing the emerging hockey talent I think it would not be needed”, the star striker said.
“It’s the player who should himself decide when to call it a day,‘’ Ahmed told reporters after Pakistan beat India 3-2 in the bronze medal playoff at Lahore’s National Hockey Stadium.
Ahmed, 28, played 258 internationals as midfielder and scored five goals. Ahmed said he would have loved to regain the Champions Trophy for Pakistan, which last won the world’s elite six-nation tournament in 1994.
``I would have loved to make my retirement memorable in front of my home crowd, but in the end I am happy that we at least finished at the victory podium,‘’ Ahmed said.
Sohail Abbas will be a great loss to Pakistan hockey. Great player and a great sportsman.
Hats off to him and good luck to him.
Thanks for his great services to hockey and Pakistan. :k:
what will pak do without him 
This is simply ridiculous...retirement at 27 years of age????He has atleast 5 years to play....
An era of Pakistan Hockey comes to an end.
Well done Sohail & Waseem.
i can see sohail’s stance totally. he has faught for pak very galliantly over the last few years, the whole world of ockey respects his ability and yet pak as a team hasn’t progressed but have lost cruch ties’ to spain germany etc whenever it mattered the most, he know’s we as a team r going no where so point less for him then to stick around.
spain, germany and holland r getting stronger in all departments and i can’t see pakistan dominating hokey again, we’ll have to settle for the customery 3rd to 5th places on the podium, the future of hockey is europe.
welll why dont sohail take leave of absence and come back after couple of months…we need him so badly…
Truly a sad day for Paki hockey. Sohail had to overcome so much to get where he is today and now an early retirement.
Maybe uncle musharaf can convience him to return. Wasim said that he might play again in the world cup if called upon.
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*Originally posted by Goliko: *
This is simply ridiculous...retirement at 27 years of age????He has atleast 5 years to play....
[/QUOTE]
thats wat im wondering abt
great players are retiring...sohil abbas who is my fav player will end his career.
Oltmans said he was not surprised by Sohail’s decision to retire from hockey as the player was under tremendous pressure to score bulk of goals in every match. “If you treat your star players like that I can feel how much he is under pressure,” he said
Oltman's was a decent coach, I dont think Pak can do better. With Sohail and Wasim also gone, Pak hockey will be in dark ages.
He should have played till the next WC. He could have gotten 300. Oltman's has a point though.
sohail abbas should have stayed
Regarding Wasim & Sohail's retirement,Ex-Pakistani Captain Hanif Khan Said:
"It seemed that key players Mohammad Waseem and Sohail Abbas announced retirement because of some tiff with the PHF officials and added their decision was surprising as they could have played for a few more years.
He alleged that the pair announced retirement after they were not allowed to play league abroad. "(Roelant) Oltmans was not a well-wisher of Pakistan hockey. He took all our secrets to his home.
It was Oltmans who lured Waseem and Sohail to play for his club in the Netherlands. I must say Pakistan team minus Sohail could not even win against Bangladesh. And this is all because of PHF's incompetence which appointed Oltmans," he opined."
He didn't give any good reason/excuse to retire at this stage.
cricketers ki jan jati hay retirment say aur hockey players ko jaldi pari hui hay retirment ki khair
he was a great player and we'll miss him
Re: Sohail Abbas and Wasim Ahmad retire from International Hockey
Wasim has taken his retirement decission back and PHF is convincing Sohail Abbas for the same. In few days we inshallah will hear some good news.