The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has decided to include top national player Aamir Atlas Khan in the squad for the forthcoming World Men’s Squash Team Championship commencing from August 21 at Paderborn, Germany.
Senior Vice President PSF, Razi Nawab told this scribe that the six-month ban on Aamir ended on July 17. “Now he is eligible to represent Pakistan in the all international fixtures. He is Pakistan’s number one and he will be selected for mega squash event of the world,” he added.
“Earlier, the PSF had selected the four-man team for world championship after conducting trials and Yasir Butt, Nasir Iqbal, Waqar Mehboob and Hamza Bokhari produced good performance during the trials and all four are busy in training camps in their respective home towns,” he added.
“Now the federation will facilitate him. The Federation will never compromise on discipline and if any player breaches discipline he will be penalised,” he added.
Aamir Atlas played the final of Malaysian Open Squash Championship that concluded on last Saturday and he toppled high ranked players including Cameron Pilley from Australia in the semi-final 3-1 with the score-line of 10-12, 11-6, 11-4 and 11-9. Later, in the final, Gregory Gaultier from France defeated Aamir Atlas at 11-8, 11-3 and 11-3.
A source inside the PSF further told this scribe that the federation had sent the name of Aamir for World Championship and the high-ups of the federation also contacted Aamir and gave him green signal for the international event. “He also agreed to represent Pakistan in the World Squash Championship,” he added.
He said that Aamir would also lead the team in the Men’s World Squash Team Championship as earlier Yasir Butt was asked to lead the national team. “One player may be dropped from squad,” he said.
It is important to mention here that Aamir Atlas Khan had criticised national coach in media in January and PSF took a disciplinary action against him and was banned for six-months. The issue was taken at high level but he has to face ban for six-month.