KARACHI - Two former Olympian Islahuddin and Ayaz Mahmood were removed from the panel of TV commentators selected to commentate on the China Pakistan hockey test minutes before the start of the match here on Wednesday afternoon at the HCP, it was learnt here.
The two hockey stalwarts were told minutes before they were to sit in the commentary box that they have been dropped from the panel. Pakistan Television which had made arrangements to live broadcast the first of the four-test series alleged  to have dropped the two hockey stalwarts from the panel when some one from the hockey establishment objected to their presence as commentators.
Some one from PTV Islamabad rang up the staff of the PTV present at the HCP to inform the two that they have been dropped from the panel.
As soon as the news that the two have been stopped from being the part of the commentary team became public rumour started floating at the HCP that the hockey establishment had told that the PTV to drop them.
President of the PHF Qasim Zia, a hockey contemporary of Ayaz Mahmood and secretary PHF Asif Bajwa who were at the HCP came to know about the development, came to the media box where the two were sitting and requested them to come with them and sit in the VIP box. The two PHF officials strongly dismissed rumours that the PHF was in anyway involved in the development. PTV side of the story could not be taken because no official was available to comment on the reported removal of the hockey stars from the commentators’ panel.
– ANISUDDIN KHAN