Former Davis Cup captain Hameed urge PTF to hold Fresh Trails for Davis Cup Tie
Former Davis Cup captain Hameed-ul-Haq urged the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Salim Saifullah Khan to hold fresh trails for the Davis Cup tie to select a formidable team for the mega event.
Former Davis Cup captain Hameed-ul-Haq urged the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Salim Saifullah Khan to hold fresh trails for the Davis Cup tie to select a formidable team for the mega event which is schedule to be held on 29th & 30th November at Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad.
"The current selected Davis Cup team was weak as the trials were not attended by top tennis players Abid Ali Akbar (winner of SNGPL Pakistan Open held at PTF Tennis Complex) and Shahzad Khan (winner of Faisalabad Governor Cup held on Grass)," Hameed said.
He said Ahmad Chaudhry and Huzaifa Abdur Rehman played just one match and abandoned the trials.
"This team would face India in the tie to be held on November 29 and 30 here at the grass courts of Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad had weak chances of excelling in the competition," he said.
Hameed said the same team would also participate in the South Asian Games to be held in Nepal later this year.
"I appeal PTF President Salim Saifullah Khan, to order fresh trials inviting best players so that a stronger team could be selected to put up a formidable challenge to India and in the SAF Games," he said.
After Aisam ul Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan, if there was good player capable of winning Davis Cup matches that player is Samir Iftikhar.
"In a crucial Davis Cup match against Indonesia (Jakarta), Samir won the match for Pakistan. Because of the attitude of some PTF officials, Samir had refused to come to Pakistan to be part of the Davis Cup effort," he said.
The Pride of Performance, Hameed said PTF president was doing everything in his power to bring Davis Cup back to Pakistan.
"He injected funds, increased the number of national and international tournaments, increased the prize money, and built five new world class Synthetic Tennis Courts, but all his efforts have been wasted by his amateur staff," he said.
Hameed said PTF had failed to produce even one quality player who could replace our ageing Aqeel Khan and Aisam ul Haq in the future.
"I appeal PTF president to bring in knowledgeable, professional coaches and experienced PTF staff to run the affairs of tennis if he wants to improve the game in Pakistan," he said.
