Pakistan hockey captain Zeeshan Ashraf has made an impassioned appeal to the government to take steps to improve the financial and working conditions of the players in the country.

Ashraf is pained at the “disparity” of treatment by the government between hockey players and cricketers.

He said while he was working as a clerk in National Bank on contract basis, Pakistan cricket opener Salman Butt was posted as vice president in the bank.

“Why is there so much disparity between the facilities and treatment given out to cricketers and hockey players. We both play for the country but while cricketers get everything we get nothing,” Ashraf, an Olympian, said.

“For many years we have heard promises from government about permanent and respectable jobs in the government for hockey players but nothing has happened so far. Even though Zafarullah Khan Jamali, the former Prime Minister was also the hockey federation president at one time,” he added.

Ashraf said unless hockey was given the status of a professional sport in Pakistan its profile will not improve.

“Youngsters prefer to go to other sports rather then hockey because hockey remains an amateur sport,” he said.

The Pakistan team will leave for a long training tour of Europe on September 24 to prepare for the World Cup qualifying tournament to be held in France in November.