Planet Field Hockey

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday expressed surprise at India's rejection of a hockey series between the two neighbours in Dubai next year, saying the idea to stage such a competition actually came from the Indian side.

"It is very surprising for us to hear that the Indians are now against the series in Dubai," said Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary Brig Musarratullah Khan. "The series was actually finalised at the insistence of the Indian officials and now they themselves are backing out."

Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president K P S Gill on Tuesday rejected an invitation to play a hockey series next February in Dubai saying India did not want to play Pakistan on a neutral venue.

Gill said if Pakistan and India can play each other in either country then why should they go and compete on a neutral venue.

The series was to be organised by the United Arab Emirates hockey committee and the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series.

Pakistan and India were both guaranteed handsome appearance money by the organisers of the series that was first scheduled for April this year but was postponed after the organisers failed to come out with the required facilities for the holding of the competition.

The idea to hold a Pakistan-India competition at a neutral venue came up for discussion during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney after a move to resume a home-and-away series fizzled out because of political tension between the two neighbours.

Later, however, the otherwise quite cordial relations between PHF and IHF officials were strained after Pakistan turned down an Indian request to change the dates of this November's Champions Trophy so that their team could travel to New Delhi for the Afro-Asian Games to be staged during the same period. PHF said it was too late for such a move.

There have been reports that the Champions Trophy issue will be raised by the Indian Prime Minister Atul Bihari Vajpayee when he meets President General Pervez Musharraf in a summit in Agra later this month.

"In an ideal situation we would love to host India for a test series and will also send our team across the border to play there", Musaarat was quoted as saying in The News International. "But unfortunately this is not the case. At the moment, we cannot say for sure what will happen (at the summit). In such circumstances saying no to the Gulf series, as the Indians have done, is not a very good move".

There is a general feeling in Pakistani hockey community that the Indian rejection of the Dubai series may have been a result of PHF's negative response to the request to reschedule the Champions Trophy. But Musarrat refrained from commenting on the Indian's motives, saying: "PHF has not been officially informed about the decision".

Musarrat said PHF has agreed to play in Dubai next February and it will be a part of any competition that is staged there with or without India.

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