Islamabad, 20 February (H.S.): On Friday, the Pakistan government revoked the two-year ban imposed on national men's hockey team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), declaring it illegal and unconstitutional.

The ban had been enacted by outgoing PHF president Tariq Bugti just before his resignation, citing Butt's public criticism of the federation over mismanagement during the recent Australia tour for the FIH Pro League.

Butt and senior players had accused authorities of severe logistical failures, including forcing players to stay in Airbnbs despite funds allocated by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for five-star hotels, threats to silence media interactions, compelling players to clean kitchens and wash dishes, and hours spent waiting on streets due to unpaid hotel advances.

Additionally, Butt revealed that most players had not received daily allowances for a year, while Bugti blamed the PSB for the lapses.PHF interim president Muhyuddin Ahmed Wani, appointed as patron-in-chief by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, swiftly overturned the decision upon the team's return early Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sharif accepted Bugti's resignation immediately, naming Wani as ad-hoc president and Brigadier Musratullah as director general to temporarily manage hockey affairs ahead of the World Cup final qualifying tournament in Egypt in four months.

Pakistan's FIH Pro League campaign has been dismal, with the team losing all eight matches against the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, and Germany, leaving them at the bottom of the nine-team standings.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar