Indo-Pak hockey series cancellation fine for boys: Nobbs

Ipoh: India hockey coach Michael Nobbs on Friday said he was looking forward to the upcoming home-and-away bilateral hockey series against Pakistan but now that the Indian government has decided to call it off, he was left with a mixed feeling.

The Indian government today called off the bilateral hockey series on security grounds, and while Nobbs felt that the 10-match series could have been postponed and not cancelled, but he insisted it could be good for the boys who already have a tight packed calendar. "I hoped that the 10-match series on either side of the border will be postponed and not cancelled. The India-Pakistan hockey matches are followed keenly by hockey buffs and I had looked forward to the series," he said. "But in a way it would be fine for the boys as they have a tight packed calendar with the World Cup qualifier and the Asia Cup not far away," Nobbs added. Pakistan team chief coach Akhtar Rasool, however, was left disappointed as his boys had looked forward to the series, which was scheduled to start on April 5. However, both Nobbs and Rasool hoped that the series would get underway soon. PTI