HOCKEY GOING CRICKET WAY IN PAKISTAN

Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Media Manager Shahzad Malik released a press note yesterday stating that the entire 18-man hockey squad that played in the World Cup at New Delhi has offered to resign after finishing 12th (last place) by losing to Canada in the 11th-12th place play-off.

That's the last thing Pakistan needs! Its cricket team (as well as the Board) is in disarray. And now problems in hockey as well... The two most popular sports in Pakistan are going through, arguably, their worst crisis for quite some time in history.

Pakistan, as a nation, is already suffering due to various reasons like poor governance and administration, presence of too many powerful extremist forces in the country, lack of security and many other problems. It is in times of such gloom that a sport can spark a change. It needs just one magical performance to lift an entire nation's mood. To make it forget about the daily miseries of life. To revel in that moment of pride and happiness.

It has the ability to ignite hope and belief in the darkest of spaces. And Pakistan, with all its problems in cricket and hockey, is being robbed off that chance of redressal. It's a pitiable situation and one feels sad to see the negative growth path that they are trodding on.

It's time that someone in Pakistan wakes up to the reality of the situation and sets the alarm bells so that the others may see it as well. The cricketers had their chance in Australia and the hockey team had it in India. Both the teams lost it, and ended up making the matters worse. Someone else now needs to grab the bull by the horns!