Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of mismanagement and irregularities surrounding the national men's hockey team's tour of Australia for the FIH Pro League, after videos circulating on social media showed players living in substandard conditions during the trip.

 

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) confirmed that the federal government has launched a formal inquiry into the matter, directing authorities to identify those responsible and warning that anyone found guilty will face strict action. 

 

PM’s Advisor on Inter-provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah also ordered a separate inquiry into the Pakistan Hockey Federation's conduct, saying the administrative failures had not only hurt the players but damaged Pakistan’s sporting reputation.

 

The controversy centers on the team's stay in Hobart, where the PHF paid for only seven days of lodging and housed players more than an hour and a half outside the city in facilities. 

 

With initial hotel bookings cancelled due to non-payment, rooms were later arranged through an online platform with four to five players sharing each room and bookings that did not cover the full duration of the tour. 

 

Members of the local community eventually stepped in to help arrange alternative accommodation and meals.

 

Later, team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, speaking to media at Lahore airport upon the squad's return, was also unsparing in his criticism. “The team management told us many lies,” he said. “I cannot work with the current management at all.”

 

PSB Director General Noorish Sabah, who received the team at the airport, confirmed that the PSB had booked and paid for hotel accommodation in Australia, which the PHF subsequently cancelled. 

 

The tour results compounded the misery, with Pakistan losing all four matches in Australia, falling 3-2 and 3-0 to the hosts and 5-2 and 6-1 to Germany. 

 

The team's next FIH Pro League fixtures are against Belgium on June 13 and Spain on June 14, with return fixtures on June 20. 

 

Pakistan then face India on June 23, England on June 24, and return legs against both sides on June 26 and June 27, respectively.