UK Denies Visa to Pakistan National Team Hockey Captain

Pakistan hockey captain Ammad Shakil Butt has been denied a United Kingdom visa and will not travel with the national team for the final leg of the FIH Pro League in England.

Pakistan is scheduled to play its remaining four matches from June 23 to 27 against arch-rivals India and hosts England.

Reports said that head coach Manzoor-ul-Hasan Senior has also not yet received his visa, raising further uncertainty ahead of the England leg.

Pakistan is currently in Belgium for the penultimate stage of the tournament, where it is facing Belgium and Spain. The national side has lost three of its first four matches so far.

According to reports, Ammad’s visa refusal is believed to be linked to an alleged overstay in England during 2022-23. His club in England had reportedly assured him that his visa would be extended, but the process was not completed in time, causing his stay to exceed the legal six-month limit.

Reports also claimed that Ammad later applied for asylum in the UK, but his application was unsuccessful.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) made efforts to secure clearance for the captain, but the visa was not granted. Ammad is now expected to return home within the next few days.

While PHF is reportedly not overly concerned about his absence due to the team’s poor run of form, sources said the federation is worried about the negative image created by the visa refusal.

If Manzoor-ul-Hasan Senior also fails to receive his visa, PHF Director High Performance Tahir Zaman is expected to take charge of coaching duties in England.

Tahir has already traveled to Belgium to observe Pakistan’s ongoing Pro League matches.

Reprts said the situation also comes amid internal tensions within Pakistan hockey. During Pakistan’s tour of Australia, Ammad and several other players had opposed Tahir’s appointment as head coach. Tahir later stepped down despite being offered the chance to continue by Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani.

According to reports, Tahir had previously sought the removal of Ammad and several players who supported him. He was later appointed Director High Performance, a decision that reportedly drew criticism from Ammad.

Reports further claimed that Ammad had approached a couple of federal ministers to help facilitate his UK visa, but received no positive response.