The Pakistan hockey coach change has left players stunned after the Pakistan Hockey Federation decided to replace Australian coach Colin Batch with former Olympian Manzoor ul Hasan ahead of the FIH Pro Nations League and the World Cup.
Several players did not expect the move and had hoped Batch would continue guiding the team for two major international events. One player, speaking anonymously, described the decision as a “recipe for disaster.”
Sources close to the squad said players were surprised to learn that the PHF had appointed Manzoor ul Hasan as head coach, rather than retaining Batch.
The anonymous player said the squad valued Batch’s qualifications and his understanding of modern hockey. That reaction reflects broader concern inside the camp as Pakistan prepares for two key competitions.
Manzoor ul Hasan is a celebrated former defender who represented Pakistan in the 1970s and 1980s. The PHF has now handed him the top coaching role for the upcoming FIH Pro Nations League and the World Cup.
At the same time, the interim PHF setup also formed a national selection committee headed by another former Olympian, Samiullah Khan. The other selectors named are Naeem Akhtar, Kashif Jawad, Muhammad Khalid, Nasir Ali, and Atif Bashir.
Some players, including those currently playing in foreign leagues, may soon approach the interim PHF president and urge him to appoint a foreign coach.
That detail underlines the lack of confidence some players appear to have in the latest decision. It also suggests the coaching change could become a wider issue inside Pakistan hockey if concerns continue to grow.
World Cup return raises stakes for PHF
The coaching decision comes at a crucial moment for Pakistan hockey. The team recently qualified for the World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands in August after an eight-year absence.
Pakistan secured that place by reaching the final of a qualifying tournament in Egypt. That return to the World Cup has increased the pressure on the PHF to make the right decisions before the tournament begins.
The PHF said in a notification that all the new appointments were made on the recommendation of the PHF Professional Development Committee, which includes former captains Hasan Sardar and Islahuddin Siddiqui. The federation also named Ayaz Mahmood as head coach of the Pakistan junior team.
