Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the mismanagement of the national hockey team’s troubled tour of Australia after captain Ammad Shakeel Butt admitted to lying about the team’s plight in a viral video.
Sharif, who is also the chief patron of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), took notice of the controversy after reports surfaced that the players were left without proper accommodation during the tour.
Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Noor Us Sabah told the media that they are preparing a detailed report for the Prime Minister after he ordered an inquiry into the entire debacle. Sources said immediate action would be taken against those found responsible.
The controversy started when a video surfaced on social media showing Pakistani players standing on the streets of Sydney with their luggage. Soon after the video went viral, Butt posted another clip claiming that everything was fine and there were no issues as far as their stay was concerned.
However, after returning to Lahore, Butt admitted that the earlier video was a cover-up and openly criticized the federation management. “We cannot cooperate with this current management of the federation. When the players have to clean the kitchen and wash the dishes before the match, what result do you expect from us?” said a visibly annoyed Butt.
During the tour, he claimed that the team not only had to wander the streets due to lack of accommodation, but also “wash the dishes before the game”.
The PHF faced strong backlash after the PSB confirmed that it had provided more than Rs 10 crore to arrange hotel accommodation for the national team in Australia.
According to reports, the Pakistani contingent had to wait for 13-14 hours at the Sydney airport before catching a connecting flight to Canberra. When the team arrived at the hotel before the FIH Pro League matches, the players were informed that they had no reservation as no deposit had been paid to the hotel management.
Players waited for hours and wandered the streets before accommodation was finally secured. The very next afternoon, Pakistan played their first match against Australia and lost 2–3. The team lost all their matches during the Australian leg, including matches against the hosts and Germany, capping off a difficult tour on and off the field.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 18, 2026