Lahore

The Pakistan government on Friday revoked the two-year ban imposed on national hockey team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, terming the punitive action by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) as “illegal and unconstitutional”.

The ban had been imposed late Thursday by outgoing PHF president Tariq Bugti, shortly before his resignation, after Butt publicly criticised the federation over alleged mismanagement during Pakistan’s recent tour of Australia. However, Bugti’s decision was overturned by Muhuydin Ahmed Wani, the interim PHF president appointed by Shahbaz Sharif, who said the disciplinary action had no legal basis.

“The step taken against the captain was illegal and unconstitutional,” Wani said, confirming that Butt’s ban from international and domestic hockey stood revoked with immediate effect.

Bugti resigned following a major backlash over the team’s Australia tour, during which players faced severe logistical issues despite funds being sanctioned for their stay. The national side, which was competing in the FIH Pro League in Canberra, reportedly had to stay in Airbnb accommodations instead of the five-star hotel originally planned.

The state-run Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had released Rs 10 million to the PHF for the team’s accommodation, but players alleged that the money was not utilised as intended.

A senior official from the Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry, which oversees sports affairs, said Prime Minister Sharif had accepted Bugti’s resignation immediately and appointed Wani as ad-hoc PHF president, along with Brigadier Musratullah as Director-General, to stabilise the federation.

Following their return from Australia earlier this week, Butt and several senior players told media at the airport that they could no longer work under the current PHF management. Butt alleged that players were misled about arrangements, warned against speaking to the media, and even forced to clean kitchens and wash dishes before matches.

He also claimed that many players had not received their daily allowances from the PSB and PHF for nearly a year. Bugti, however, denied responsibility for the fiasco, shifting the blame onto the PSB and insisting that the board handled all tour arrangements.

On the field, Pakistan endured a torrid campaign, losing all eight of their matches in the Pro League against Netherlands, Argentina, Australia and Germany, and currently sit last in the nine-team standings.

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Pakistan are next scheduled to travel to Egypt in four months’ time for the final qualifying tournament for the Hockey World Cup, with the federation now under pressure to restore stability and player confidence ahead of the crucial event.