All Pak team players retire after dismal performance
* Pakistan team announce retirement * Coach, manager and selection committee sacked * (Recasts with Pakistan squad announcing retirement)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s entire World Cup squad have announced their international retirement after finishing last at the 12-team tournament in India.
Pakistan lost 3-2 to Canada on Thursday which condemned them to 12th place, their worst ever showing at the tournament.Admitting their poor performance in the FIH World Cup, all players of the national hockey team have announced their retirement from the game here on Thursday.
Earlier, the PHF said it had sacked coach Shahid Ali Khan as well as the team manager and selection committee.
“I have sacked the team management and the national selection committee because of our shameful performance in the World Cup,” PHF president Qasim Zia told Reuters.
Hockey is the national game of Pakistan but the national side’s fortunes in recent years have been in decline with the team having to qualify for the World Cup last year.
Captain Zeeshan Ashraf, while talking with Geo News, said that he and his boys apologise with the nation on the team’s dismal performance in the World Cup.He said that never in the history of Pakistan, such disappointing performance was displayed and the whole team is sad on today’s defeat. This is why all the players have decided in a meeting to quit hockey.Zeeshan said that the players did not make this decision under any pressure but they did it only due to their poor performance.
Olympic champions Germany thrashed England 4-1 in the semi-finals of the men's hockey World Cup on Thursday to stay on course for a third successivetitle.Germany, who lost to England in the final of the European championship last year, scored through Marco Montag, Oliver Korn, Martin Haner and Linus Butt. Richard Smith replied for England.Tournament favourites Australia lock horns with Netherlands in the other semi-final later on Thursday.Earlier, Canada beat former champions Pakistan 3-2 in extra time to finish 11th in the 12-team competition.

Hockey-Germany to meet Australia in World Cup final

Holders Germany will meet Australia in the men’s hockey World Cup final on Saturday for the third successive tournament.
Olympic champions Germany thrashed England 4-1 in the first semi-final on Thursday to stay on course for a third straight title. World number two Australia, beaten in 2002 and 2006 by Germany, then edged out Netherlands 2-1 in a closely fought contest.