LAHORE: With less than three weeks before the FIH World Cup starts, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday appointed Abu Bakar Mahmood as captain of the national hockey team.
The 28-year-old Abu Bakr replaces Ammad Butt who led Pakistan in the 2025-26 FIH Pro League where the Green-shirts finished a pathetic last after losing all 16 matches of the premier nine-nation event. Pakistan, in a miserable performance, conceded 79 goals in the league while scoring only 22.
The 16-team World Cup will be jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from Aug 15 to 30. Pakistan will feature in the World Cup after eight years as the former four-time world champions failed to qualify for the 2023 edition staged in India.
According to a PHF announcement, president Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani approved the appointment of the national team’s captain on the recommendation of the Professional Development Committee, comprising former captains Islahuddin Siddiqui and Hasan Sardar.
“International hockey player Abu Bakar, who has consistently delivered impressive performances over a long period, will lead the Pakistan team in the upcoming international events,” the PHF said in a statement.
The federation praised the outgoing skipper for his services.
“Abu Bakar will replace Ammad Butt, who has served the national teams with distinction over the past 14 years. Ammad will, however, retain his place in the national squad,” the statement added.
The PHF hoped that the national team would benefit from Abu Bakar’s leadership.
“We expect that under Abu Bakar’s captaincy, the national team will move forward with unity by combining the experience of [the] senior players with the energy and talent of the younger members.”
Abu Bakar, who hails from Faisalabad, began his international career with Pakistan’s U-21 side, representing the country in the Junior Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in 2014.
After impressing as a penalty-corner specialist at the junior level, he earned a place in the senior team in 2017, making his debut in a Test series against New Zealand in Wellington.
In 2024, he suffered a knee injury during Pakistan’s Asian Champions Trophy match against India.
The removal of Ammad as captain was anticipated following Pakistan’s extremely disappointing campaign in the Pro League. His absence from the Pro League’s final leg, which was staged in Europe after the PHF failed to secure his UK visa, further fuelled speculations that he would not continue as skipper.
Ammad, 30, was also at the centre of a controversy during Pakistan’s tour of Australia for the Pro League when he publicly alleged that the team had not been provided proper accommodation on time because of the administrative negligence by the then PHF management headed by Tariq Hussain Bugti.
The controversy eventually led to Bugti’s resignation, after which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Wani as interim PHF president.
Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2026
