Alam Zeb Safi [THE NEWS]
Friday, October 21, 2011
KARACHI: Pakistan football coach Tariq Lutfi has said that foreign-based players will not be considered if they failed to join the camp for the SAFF Championship on the very first day.
“I have told the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) that the foreign-based players should join the camp from the day one and I will not relax the rules and will rather opt to pick home-based players in their place if they failed to turn up on the same day,” Lutfi told ‘The’ News on Thursday.
“They will be welcomed if they are able to make their availability for the camp in time as they are skilled boys and would be brought in full form with training with our home-based boys,” he said.
England-based midfielder Adnan Ahmad, defender Atif Bashir and Denmark-based striker Hassan Bashir are the three foreign-based players which have been invited for the preparatory camp which will start in Lahore on October 28. The SAFF Cup, which Pakistan are yet to win, will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi from December2-12.
Pakistan are also scheduled to tour Thailand from November 22-29 before leaving for New Delhi. “Of the three foreign-based players Hassan Bashir is the best and his inclusion will boost our frontline but it is yet to be known whether he has got his Pakistani passport or not,” Lutfi said.
The coach is confident that a better team would be formed for the event.
“We have invited all the young boys as per the PFF policy and so Pakistan will be fielding a junior side as compared to the rest of the competing teams who I think would definitely field their senior lots. But I hope that our young team will be having a much better fighting spirit during the vital assignment,” he pointed out. “Because of the hectic league, initially not much burden will be put on the players during training.
“Initially we will opt for recovery training and efforts would be made to provide the players good diet. And when they will get settled then the process could get momentum,” Lutfi said. “I don’t think that the players of Karachi and Balochistan will be released for Eid. But the players of Punjab may get a chance to join their families on this occasion.”
this man’s stubborn lack of realism never ceases to amaze us…
You are not just playing for the country, you are playing for the manager also. If “EITHER” of them have no vision, no experience, no knowledge, no learning process, no plan………………. then why would a player who is playing good football abroad wish to waste his time? Would a Premier league player take over a month off to participate in a competition which doesnt boast any of the best players in the world (no offence) and is not at the top end of International competitions?
No Foriegn team will want to risk their players for one month!!! The living condition and food is terrible and foreign players will not be able to cope and end up ill. Zesh is the main man as he is doing so much for Pakistan and putting us on the map. pakistan football needs a change. No team will visit Pakistan(risk from terrorist attack). The PFF should move abroad and all training done abroad(base in Dubai). Get a good foreign coach and forget the players playing in Pakistan. Send scouts to all over the world and pick a strong experienced players and lets win the world cup.
dekha jaye from the from the other point of view to some extent lutfi is right because Our Local Player have no understanding with foriegn based player lutfi calls them on the day 29 oct then its not bad if the players get time to understand each other for good game play
the players are not stupid. Atif and Adnan have been playing for Pakistan for THREE years now (Adnan for 4 years) and they know most of the squad quite well. You do not need a month long pointless camp to condition a team since most of the Pak team will essentially be made of KRL and NBP players anyway!
we need foreign coach with out foreign coach we do not improve our food ball team . our team is so weak because of weak coaching .from ten years there are no improvement in our team . on the other hand india team who improved his team day by day .
lutfi is unrealistic and he is the reason why so many foreign players are holding back. there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that foreign Pakistani players are far better than the local players. why would any foreign player want to come join up with the Pakistan squad with their poor facilities and then be mistreated by coaching staff who favour locals over foreigners anyway. To be honest not even one local Pakistan player would make it any semi pro league in England that also includes the very few players who play in the Danish and Norwegian leagues.
I have seen Bashir play and he is over rated by the Pakistan media, he plays in the Danish 2nd division which is the 3rd tier of the Danish league so if we are realistic he would be lucky to play for a conference side in England.
There is far better Pakistani players in England but the set up of the national squad has to be questioned and their selection and scouting process.
agree with some of your points…as far as talent in uk goes pakistan will only pick those wo are in the system and playing atleast evo-stick level or an ex academy of pro club..otherwise what benefit is it to pkn to develop some1 from sunday league? there are thousands who think they can play for pkn or better than this and that but unless they have proved it..its just pointless talking. likes of hassan bashir isnt bad…even if he conference standard..we havent got another striker of that standard in uk..so we should be happy with what we have…but like u said as far as local coaches go…they will contnue to prefer their own players while we continue to lose..
Im not sure how much you know about non league football in England, but there is at least over 20 Pakistani eligible players playing in non league football and at a semi pro level. I wonder how the national team does their research if any???? this has to be questioned by the PFF who should be working to have some kind of relationship with someone UK based who has a real know how and direct contacts of the clubs and players in England. otherwise this job could be done by anyone sitting at home but the real talents has to be seen on the pitch. further to Sunday league I never once stated anything about this level as we would be talking of thousands of players.
I am humoured by the PFF suggestion of a month long camp as this truly shows what they think of the talent that they have chosen……..they need a lot longer than a month.
I think you are spot on pal.
The shit hole Lutfi does it again…
Go home lutfi, leave us & Pakistan alone… we dont need you…
We badly need a foreign coach, such unprofessionalism cannot be tolerated on a National level !!!!