Pakistan hockey faces yet another major crisis as Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Tariq Hussain Bugti announced his resignation on Thursday, February 19, 2026, following widespread backlash over the national team’s disastrous and mismanaged tour of Australia for the FIH Pro League.
The move comes just hours after Bugti imposed a two-year ban on national team captain Ammad Shakeel Butt, following a disastrous Australia tour marred by allegations of “inhumane” treatment of players.
The Spark: “Cleaning Toilets” In Hobart
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The controversy erupted when the Pakistan national cricket team returned to Lahore on Wednesday after a winless outing in the FIH Pro League in Australia. Captain Ammad Butt held a fiery press conference, detailing a logistical nightmare that forced professional athletes into menial labor.
According to Butt, the team was:
Left Stranded: Players spent 14 hours on the streets of Sydney with their luggage after hotel bookings were canceled due to non-payment.
Forced Labor: In Hobart, the team was moved to a substandard guest house where players were allegedly forced to wash dishes, clean toilets, and cook their own meals on match days.
Financially Neglected: Butt claimed that nine players had not received daily allowances for over a year, despite the government releasing PKR 250 million (25 crore) for the sport.
GLOBAL EMBARRASSMENT FOR PAKISTAN HOCKEY TEAM DURING THE AUSTRALIA LEG
Captain of Pakistan revealed:
– Team was left on the road to stay
– Had to cook own food & clean utensils
– Have not received daily allowance from 2023
– Hotel bills were unpaidpic.twitter.com/IEjI5iiLQL
— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) February 19, 2026
What Did Ammad Shakeel Butt Say?
“If I talk about the Australia tour, I will begin with the flights and hotel arrangements. After landing in Sydney, we were made to roam around near the Opera Street for 12 to 15 hours like helpless people. No one took responsibility for our team. There was no hotel arranged for us, and we were not given food on time,” Ammad said.
“From Sydney, we then travelled to Hobart. Let me first clarify that whatever news reached Pakistan is completely true. The videos that were sent from my team and by me were real. However, we were told by our team management that the matter had reached India. When India was mentioned, I personally felt that this was about my country, and my country should not be defamed. So I made a video saying that everything was fine and no injustice was happening with the team. But in reality, that was not true. Whatever messages, videos, and reports came out are all true,” he added.
Butt said he was proud of his team’s performance on the tour, especially after the players had to fend for themselves in Australia, staying in local accommodation following a day-long wait.
“The boys wake up and prepare their own breakfast. They wash dishes for two to three hours. They clean their bedrooms and toilets themselves. We have no proper rest time. The players have been mentally disturbed. How can we perform for Pakistan under such conditions?” said Butt.
The Pakistan captain said they approached the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), which informed them that funds for the tour had been allocated to the PHF, but alleged that the team management falsely claimed the money had not been released.
“I don’t know whether the Sports Board is at fault or the Pakistan Hockey Federation is at fault. But one thing is certain – our team management has lied to us repeatedly,” said Butt.
The Final Blow: Ban And Resignation
In a swift and controversial response, Tariq Bugti slapped Ammad Shakeel Butt with a two-year ban for “bringing disrepute to Pakistan hockey.” Bugti accused Butt of threatening fellow players and running a campaign against the federation’s management.
Shortly after, Bugti submitted his own resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. In his exit statement, Bugti shifted the blame toward the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), alleging that the board mismanaged funds and acted as “judge and jury” in the subsequent inquiry.
He has called for an impartial investigation by the Prime Minister and the military leadership to uncover why the funds never reached the team on the ground.
A Pattern Of Turmoil
This is not the first instance of mismanagement for the three-time Olympic gold medalists. Earlier this year, players threatened to boycott a training camp over unpaid dues. Furthermore, the team is currently without a manager after Olympian Anjum Saeed was recently dismissed for smoking on an aircraft during a team flight.
With the World Cup Qualifiers only four months away, Pakistan hockey is essentially rudderless, facing its most significant existential threat in decades.