India, Pak lacked preparation for World Cup, says Abbas

Sohail Abbas couldn’t help but smile at the irony when a Pakistani journalist suggested that the drag-flicker’s poor form had led to Pakistan’s downfall in the 12th Hockey World Cup here.
A powerhouse of talent, Abbas has been the epitome of Pakistan’s famous victories in the past — his 300-plus goals being proof enough. But a below-par show at the World Cup here has put the veteran defender under the scanner.

“Mere paas Alladin ka chirag nahin hai,” Abbas said with a sarcastic smile. “The statistics are correct, I have only scored two goals in the five matches and I am not denying it.

“But I don’t miss penalty corners deliberately. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t. I know that I always give my best on the pitch, the rest is not up to me,” he said.

For years, Abbas has been the fulcrum of the Pakistan team. The national selectors called the 32-year old out of retirement to bolster Pakistan’s chances at the World Cup, a move that did not pay off.

“Whatever I have achieved in this game is due to the grace of Allah. I have scored many goals which landed where I wanted them to…. but that wasn’t my doing. There was a higher power at work. In the same way, I have missed a few goals here that should have gone in. That was because Allah had not willed the ball to go in,” he said.

Pakistan began on a disastrous note going 1-4 down to India and the Green Shirts failed to arrest the slide. They will now play for the 11-12th position.

Said Abbas, “The problems are deep-rooted for both India and Pakistan. The Europeans play to a plan and come with amazing preparation. These teams play the same level of matches throughout the year. So when they step on the field for a World Cup game, it is nothing new for them.

“Here, it takes a player 15 minutes to come to terms that he is actually playing a World Cup game. The youngsters are in awe, as they have never played against such high-profile teams. That in my opinion is a huge difference,” said Abbas, who has been playing in the Dutch league for many years now.

“The Dutch league has been an eye-opener. I have learnt new techniques, training methods and even what to eat. We in Asia just go out and play on the pitch. But in Europe, you learn how much planning goes into the game.

“Of course, there is nothing like my own nation, Pakistan, so whatever I do, however much I earn, I will always belong to Pakistan. Whenever I am needed, I will come running for my country,” he said.

Harpreet Kaur Lamba