PHF denies permission to Sohail Abbas, five others for PHL

Lahore, Nov 19 (UNI) Pakistan's veteran penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas will not be seen in action in the upcoming Premier Hockey League in India after the PHF refused permission to all those players, who are not representing the national team currently.

Sohail, who played for the Hyderabad Sultans in the inaugral 2005 edtion of the league but skipped the tournament in 2006, had missed the selection for the Doha Asian Games inviting the ire of Pakistan Hockey Federation President Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

The PHF President had declared that Sohail along with six others, who also missed the selection trials would not be allowed to play for Pakistan as long as he was at the helm.

The others who missed the trials were Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Saqlain, Dilawar Hussain, Shabbir Ahmed and Ghazanfer Ali.

The third edition of the PHL starts in January next year and will be played in Chennai and Chandigarh.

Quoting PHF Secretary Akhtarul Islam, the 'Daily Nation' reported that Pakistan was requested to allow eight to ten players for PHL by the Indian Hockey Federation.

''Pakistan has agreed to send only those players who were playing for the national squad currently and no permission would be given to any other player who are not representing Pakistan,'' Mr Islam said.

The PHF secretary said the players who will take part in the PHL will get 3000 dollar for the two-month-long event.

UNI XC PM ND1130