Entire Pakistan team quit after failure

Published: 7:13AM Friday March 12, 2010 Source: Reuters

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Pakistan's entire World Cup hockey squad have announced their international retirement after finishing last at the 12-team tournament in India.

Pakistan lost 3-2 to Canada on Friday which condemned them to 12th place, their worst ever showing at the tournament.

"The players including captain Zeeshan Ashraf have announced their retirements and intimated this to the Pakistan Hockey Federation president," a federation spokesman said.

"All the players in the team accept their responsibility for the humiliating performance in the World Cup and have decided to retire," Ashraf told Geo News channel from New Delhi.

Earlier, the PHF said it had sacked coach Shahid Ali Khan as well as the team manager and selection committee.

"I have sacked the team management and the national selection committee because of our shameful performance in the World Cup," PHF president Qasim Zia told Reuters.

Hockey is the national game of Pakistan but the national side's fortunes in recent years have been in decline with the team having to qualify for the World Cup last year.

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