Sandeep’s and Prabhjot’s no show hurt India in WC: Ashok Kumar

Former hockey captain Ashok Kumar feels a couple of senior players in the Indian side were off-colour in the ongoing hockey World Cup and injecting young blood in the team is the need of the hour.

Ashok said drag-flicker Sandeep Singh and forward Prabhjot Singh were not up to the mark, which made things difficult for India.
“After the retirement of Dilip Tirkey the defence is shaky. Sandeep is a very good drag flicker. He converts 50 per cent of penalty corners. But a full back does not do only penalty corner conversion job.

“You have to tackle well and retrieve the ball after losing possession. He is lacking in those things,” Ashok, member of India’s 1975 World Cup winning sqaud, told reporters here.

“Prabhjot Singh has lost his speed and not many moves came from the left side. In our time, we had Mukesh Kumar at the right who is seen everywhere, running here and there,” said Ashok, son of legendary Dhyan Chand.
He said India should groom younger players and play them at the right time if the country wants to revive hockey.

“Only two or three players of the 2001 Junior World Cup winning squad is playing in the current senior side. May be Prabhjot and Deepak Thakur. Where are they (the junior players) gone. You have to groom young players and select them in the senior side,” he said.