Optimism in the air at WSH exhibition match

Tashi Lundup

At 34 years of age, the international career of Zeeshan Ashraf, the full-back captain from the gold-winning Pakistan hockey side during last year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, reached a dead end. Having been told (or at least sent strong signals) that his services will not be needed for Pakistan’s Olympic campaign, the Quetta-born Ashraf realised that he probably will not even have another game to bid the sport an official good bye. That was until the World Series Hockey came calling.

Like its cricketing cousin, the Indian Premier League, the advent of the WSH has given the perfect opportunity for many a star — fading like Ashraf or otherwise — to enjoy their time in the spotlight again. Given a contract with the Bangalore franchise, Ashraf, who even led his country during the 2010 World Cup in Delhi, now has what he had been craving for, a stage to perform his swansong.

Playing an exhibition game in the World XI squad against India XI — studded with many of his long time archrivals — Ashraf said that Indian hockey will benefit from the WSH in the long run. “Now, younger players will get a chance to play alongside experienced names, and that will help them come into national reckoning. At the end of the day, it will definitely be a boost to Indian hockey,” said the former Pakistan skipper.

Ashraf’s countryman Tariq Aziz — the young prodigy who formed a deadly combination with Rehan Butt — believes that the WSH will help the Asians reduce the gap on the Europeans. “Times are changing and we need to play like the Europeans if we have to beat them at their game. The presence of their coaches, like Roelant Oltmans (Holland) and Jose Brasa (Spain) in the WSH will only polish our games to European standards,” said Aziz, who was the top-scorer in the Indian-Pakistan hockey series held in 2006.

Brasa, the former India coach and now head coach of Chennai Cheetahs echoed Aziz’s train of thought. “Like the domestic hockey leagues in Europe, the inter-club culture will definitely benefit Indian hockey, and these city teams will boost the game at the introductory level too,” said the Spaniard.