Sohail Abbas comes out of retirement

Karachi:

Two years after hanging his boots, ace Pakistani drag-flicker Sohail Abbas has decided to return to international hockey to help Pakistan rediscover their winning ways. Abbas, whose deadly drag-flicks earned him a record 278 goals, said he had conveyed his decision to the Pakistan Hockey Federation and it was now up to them to decide on his selection. "I had decided to quit international hockey at my peak and that's why I retired after the Champions Trophy in 2004. But now I feel Pakistan hockey needs me. It hurts to see Pakistan lose in prestigious events," Abbas told a news conference on Tuesday. Pakistan have not been able to put up any impressive performance of late at the international stage. With much difficulty, they managed to qualify for the World Cup by finishing fourth in the World Cup qualifiers in Changzhou, China, while they finished a disappointing fifth in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Kuala Lumpur last month. However, although Abbas hopes to be back in the team for this month's Champions Trophy in Teresa (Spain), the Pakistan Hockey Federation is non-committal on his return. PHF Secretary Musarratullah Khan said the Federation would seek the opinion of the team management before taking a decision on the veteran player. (PTI)