FIH let off Pakistan’s Butt with reprimand

In a major relief for Pakistan, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has let-off vice-captain Ammad Butt with a reprimand for carelessly running into a Malaysian player during its last match, which means the striker is eligible to play in its crucial last Pool ‘D’ match against Netherlands on Sunday.

Pakistan’s campaign at the ongoing men’s hockey World Cup went from bad to worse after the team suffered a twin blow Thursday. While skipper Muhammad Rizwan Sr was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with an injury, his deputy Butt was banned for their last pool match against Netherlands because of a serious on-field offence against Malaysia’s Faizal Saari.

The suspension was revoked after Pakistan appealed against it with the FIH stating that Butt’s offence was not ‘reckless’ but a ‘careless’ one.