Pakistan hockey captain Ammad Butt alleges team washed dishes before Australia matches due to PHF mismanagement, sparking resignation and PM inquiry.
Pakistan Hockey Scandal: Players’ Dishwashing Humiliation Sparks Probe:
Pakistan hockey captain Ammad Shakeel Butt has unleashed a torrent of criticism against the Pakistan Hockey Federation after a nightmarish tour in Australia for the FIH Pro League, claiming players were forced to wash dishes, clean kitchens, and endure cramped living conditions due to botched arrangements. Speaking at Lahore airport upon the team’s return, Butt declared the federation’s management untenable, questioning how athletes could perform under such duress. The allegations have ignited a firestorm, leading to the PHF president’s resignation, a two-year ban on Butt himself, and an urgent inquiry ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-exposing deep-rooted dysfunction in Pakistan’s national sport at a time when its revival hangs by a thread.
This scandal not only highlights the humiliation faced by a once-dominant team but also raises alarms about governance in Pakistani sports, where chronic underfunding and alleged corruption continue to erode athletic potential.
Pakistan Hockey’s Australia Tour Marred by Chaos and Humiliation:
The Pakistan men’s hockey team arrived in Australia earlier this month for the second leg of the 2025-26 FIH Pro League, facing hosts Australia and other international sides in Sydney and Perth. What should have been a competitive outing turned into a logistical nightmare, according to multiple player accounts.
Upon landing, the team reportedly discovered their hotel bookings were invalid or unpaid, forcing them to wait hours at the airport and roam streets in search of alternatives. The PHF had arranged cramped Airbnb accommodations instead, cramming 4-5 players into single rooms, with some sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Food arrangements were nonexistent, leading players to prepare their own meals-and, as Butt claimed, clean kitchens and wash dishes right before heading to matches.
The team played five games, losing all: 2-6 and 1-5 to Australia, and defeats against Germany, Netherlands, and Spain. Performance was hampered by the chaos, with Butt noting the psychological toll. On February 18, back in Lahore, Butt addressed reporters: “We can’t work with this current management. When players have to clean the kitchen and wash dishes before going to play a match, what result do you expect from us?”
Videos and photos from the tour, shared on social media, showed players in dire straits, though no direct evidence of dishwashing was captured. By February 19, PHF president Tariq Bugti resigned amid the backlash, but not before imposing a two-year ban on Butt for “indiscipline” and criticizing the federation publicly. At least nine other players echoed Butt’s call for sweeping changes in PHF leadership and team management.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif intervened on February 19, directing the sports ministry to launch an immediate inquiry into the allegations, emphasizing the need to restore dignity to national athletes.
Pakistan Hockey’s Decline: Funding, Corruption, and Neglect:
Pakistan hockey, once a global powerhouse with three Olympic gold medals (1960, 1968, 1984) and four World Cup titles, has been in steep decline since the 1990s. The shift from grass to astroturf fields disadvantaged the team, compounded by chronic underfunding, political interference, and corruption scandals within the PHF. The federation has faced multiple dissolutions and reforms, including a 2022 government takeover amid financial woes.
The FIH Pro League, launched in 2019, is a premier international competition where Pakistan has struggled, often finishing near the bottom. The Australia tour was part of the 2025-26 season, following a first leg in Europe where similar logistical complaints surfaced but were downplayed. Funding issues are perennial: the Pakistan Sports Board allocates budgets, but mismanagement-such as delayed payments or misallocation-has plagued tours.
This incident echoes past embarrassments, like the 2010 World Cup where players protested unpaid allowances, or the 2023 Asian Games where the team traveled without kits. It underscores broader crises in Pakistani sports, where cricket dominates resources, leaving other disciplines starved. With hockey as the national sport, such debacles erode public support and deter young talent, perpetuating a cycle of decline.