Free for all at Busselton as India-Pak players lose temper

This was the worst ever off-play –on turf, fight between India and Pakistan. Tension was mounting after Pakistan came strong in the second half, and then Sohail converting a penalty corner (3-1). He again struck one (61st min) off half a dozen penalty corners he got in the second half. There was let up in the Pakistan attack, as Indians almost clueless to hold on, control speed, or go on attacking mode. It was captain Shakeel Abbasi who brought the score parity (65th min).

The match till then was excellently going, the sparse 500 odd people enjoying the most.

The last five minutes are going to be tense, and the game was heading for a Cologne CT type of finish.

The incident that sparked free for all occurred when the clock showed 1.35 minutes left for the hooter.

Till the proceeding did not show any symptom of what was in store. Strictly speaking, the match witnessed just two green cards, one to Fareed Ahmed in the 40th minute another one was served on Waqas Muhammad earlier in the first half (16th min).

The quiet match turned into a battlefield in the last minute.

Hardworking Shafqat Rasool was speeding to the circle, getting a pass from Shakeel Abbasi who was closely following Shafqat.

Gurbaj, who has been a revelation here in Australia, swung his stick to clear the ball hardly a foot away from the top-right of the circle. It not only cleared the ball but also hit hard the right leg of Shafqat, who had to fall on writhing in pain. Indian umpire Bhupinder Singh rightly signaled a penalty corner.

As Gurbaj just turned and appeared moving towards the top circle line, three players at a time bounced on him, clearly it was Shakeel Abbasi who was in uncontrollable rage at that point of time.

It led to free for all.

Who hit whom is difficult to tell, as both teams gathered and started shouldering, pushing, exchanging blows, even as officials and well meaning players were quick to enter the field and try to separate the players. It went on for 2,3 minute. Even as one thought the things were settled down, again there was scuffle. It was clearly seen Manpreet Singh, easily the youngest and leanest in the lot, was put in hardship by two Pak players, attempt of Danish to separate them yielding little result.

So, it was a worst scene.

What counts here is, once the competent authority on the field, umpire, punished the player for the act, and signaled a penalty corner, teams should have taken it in a right spirit. It was not.

The game stopped for about half an hour. Pakistan team refused to continue the match. They walked out of the pitch. Rajpal Singh who had a long discussion with Shakeel Abbasi minutes ago, pleaded with Pakistan players not to go. He was seen requesting the Pakistan players even as they were trooping out in troves.

About ten minutes later, the Pakistan team entered the field much to the applaud of the crowd. They did not play, the ball not rolled. They stood there for about a minute and then shook hands. The officials announced the match is over!

Richard Charlesworth who witnessed the match from the balcony-like spectator gallery felt once the umpire punished Gurbaj others have no business to attack each other.

“Gurbaj does this. I know for sure. But the umpire noticed him and gave a penalty corner. Then other players have no business to attack”, he said.

“We did disservice to the game, such things bring bad name to the country’ , said a senior member of Indian team.

Affable Manager Kwaja Muhammad appeared very balanced when he specifically said the following to stick2hockey.com

“Tension mounts when India – Pakistan play. Incidents of today’s nature is not the first time, nor going to be the last. Better let us all understand, its game, whatever happened we will forget it. India won the first half, we won the second half, that’s all’.

“Indian chief coach Michael Nobbs blamed it almost on poor umpiring. “Over all the standard of umpiring is poor, it has to be better”.

Note: www.stick2hockey.com is in possession of the video of the incident