Blames PSB for Pro League Mismanagement; announces Two-Year Ban on Captain Ammad Shakil Butt
DNA
Lahore, February 19, 2026 — In a dramatic development shaking Pakistan hockey, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Mir Tariq Hussain Masoori Bugti announced his resignation on Wednesday, sending his resignation letter directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the patron-in-chief of the federation. Bugti held the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) entirely responsible for the gross mismanagement during the national team’s FIH Men’s Pro League 2025-26 campaign in Hobart, Australia, and called for sweeping reforms to make the PHF autonomous like the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Addressing the media, Bugti said the reliance on PSB must end immediately. “Hockey needs its own board, just like the PCB, which generates its own resources. We cannot keep depending on PSB for everything.
The federation must be empowered to raise funds independently and manage its affairs professionally,” he declared. He accused certain elements within the setup of creating hurdles and said the Pro League arrangements collapsed due to PSB’s failure to handle logistics, accommodation, travel, and finances despite adequate funding being released by the government.
The resignation comes amid the raging controversy over the national team’s disastrous Australia tour. Players, led by captain Ammad Shakil Butt, publicly alleged they were forced to clean toilets, wash dishes and clothes, cook their own meals, and stay in substandard Airbnbs after hotel bookings allegedly fell through. The team suffered heavy defeats and returned home humiliated, with Butt claiming mental torture and restrictions on speaking to the media.
In a strong retaliatory move, Bugti announced a two-year ban on Pakistan captain Ammad Shakil Butt from both international and domestic hockey, accusing him and some players of “playing politics” and undermining the federation. “Some players chose politics over performance.
This cannot be tolerated,” Bugti said.He demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the highest authorities immediately constitute a neutral inquiry committee. “Whosoever is responsible for this mess must be taken to task. A neutral committee should investigate the entire episode without bias,” he urged.
Pakistan hockey, once a global powerhouse with Olympic gold medals in 1960, 1968 and 1984, has been in steady decline for decades due to chronic financial woes, administrative interference and lack of autonomy.
Unlike the PCB, which runs as a profitable, independent entity generating billions through sponsorships and media rights, the PHF remains heavily dependent on annual grants from the PSB and government. Repeated attempts at reform have failed, leading to frequent leadership changes and poor international results.
The latest Pro League fiasco exposed deep cracks. The government had released substantial funds, including over Rs10 million for the Australia leg, yet arrangements collapsed. PSB officials claimed they fulfilled their role, while PHF pointed fingers at external directives, including a Senate committee ruling that shifted logistical responsibility to PSB.
Captain Butt’s explosive press conference upon return — where he admitted initially downplaying the issues to “protect Pakistan’s image” — forced the crisis into the open, prompting Prime Minister Sharif to order a high-level probe.
Bugti’s resignation and the ban on the captain have intensified calls for complete overhaul. Analysts say the episode underscores the urgent need for an autonomous PHF that can market the sport, attract sponsors, and operate free from bureaucratic control — exactly the PCB model Bugti advocated.
Sports circles are now watching whether the Prime Minister accepts the resignation and sets up the demanded neutral committee. Until then, Pakistan hockey remains in turmoil, with its future hanging in the balance. The federation has summoned players and management for an emergency meeting, but the two-year ban on the national captain has already sparked outrage among fans and former Olympians.
