Only $115 provided for three daily meals; Pakistani players washed dishes and cleaned rooms

CANBERRA: Pakistan hockey players who arrived in Australia to represent their country faced a miserable fate. The Pakistani men's hockey team was stranded on the streets for hours because their hotel booking fees was not paid in advance. Team captain Ahmed Shakeel himself has come forward to reveal the ordeal he and his team had to face in Australia. The captain also says that the incident has affected the players' performance.

The Pakistan hockey team arrived in the Australian capital Canberra after a 24-hour journey from Lahore. The hotel authorities said that their hotel bookings were cancelled due to non-payment by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). This left the team stranded in the city for about six hours. The players had to cook their own food, clean their rooms and wash the dishes, says Ahmed Shakeel Butt. He alleged that the management had turned the players into "mental patients", adding that the management told the players that they would have to cover their three meals within meagre 115 dollars.

Mental stress affected the game and Pakistan lost all six matches. Mismanagement by the Pakistan Hockey Federation has been blamed for these misfortunes. The Pakistan Hockey Federation has faced widespread criticism and ridicule on social media.