England: Sweat drips down the Three Lions badge on Suffean Mahmood’s England team shirt after a gruelling practice match. The 22-year-old fullback is about to be called up by his country. But it’s not England which requires his skills.Mahmood will be swapping his red England kit for the green and white of Pakistan, which has embarked on a global search for football talent — starting in northern England.
“This is broadening our base and opening doors to Pakistanis around the world who want to play football,” said Sardar Naveed Haider Khan, a director at Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).
Ranked 176th in the FIFA world rankings, Pakistan wants to boost its fledgling domestic league and, above all, improve its national side. Pakistan has never qualified for the World Cup or Asia Cup, while cricket and field hockey remain the most popular sports.
More than 130 players attended the weekend tryouts at Rotherham United. The eight winners — chosen by Rotherham coaches — will be training at Pakistan’s national football academy in Lahore by the end of next week.
While they are British citizens, the players are eligible to line up for Pakistan because of their family heritage. Rotherham also used the occasion to spot talent for the struggling League Two club.
“It’s an untapped market,” said Mick Priest, a former coach at Manchester United’s academy who now heads Rotherham’s youth department.
Like many British citizens of Asian descent, Mahmood — who is from Birmingham — has struggled to get a foothold in the professional game.
“From a young age I have been committed to the game — even practicing on my own in the park,” said Mahmood, who had an unsuccessful trial at Premier League club Aston Villa.
“But here it just hasn’t happened for me — or many other British Asians. We don’t see a way into the game, but hopefully I can win my first cap and become a role model to show other Asian kids it is possible to break through,” he added. There are almost 750,000 British Pakistanis. Not one plays in the Premier League and just three are on the books of England’s lower leagues clubs.
Zesh Rehman, a 23-year-old centerback who spent three seasons with Premier League club Fulham before joining Championship side Queens Park Rangers last year, said some agents were biased.
“Before an agent or scout has a look at a player, they are going into it with stereotypes — with the perception that religion is going to interfere with the football,” said Rehman, a Muslim who now plays for Pakistan in spite of reaching England’s under-19 team.
In the wake of the suicide bombings on the London transport network in 2005 and subsequent foiled terror plots, many Muslims complain about being unfairly targeted by individuals seeking revenge for the acts of extremists.
Saeed Mehr, who brought his 21-year-old son to the trials in south Yorkshire, said players’ lifestyles also affected their chances.
“Sometimes Zain says players who go to the pub after matches get more chances than him,” said Mehr, whose son now plays in amateur leagues. “All he wants to do is play. He doesn’t drink or smoke,” he added.
Priest, the Rotherham youth team chief, is looking forward to the breakthrough.
“The first British Asian superstar we get will rival the mainstream stars in the game. But he’s going to have to be good enough,” Priest said. “Football’s an unforgiving world and you’re not going to be picked because you sell a shirt,” he added. Professional football is in its infancy in Pakistan, with a five-team Super League only having started in the last few weeks.
The eight players picked from the Rotherham tryouts will link up with teams in the regular, non-professional Premier League in Pakistan. That league starts its third season next month and is made up of players from government departments.
Mahmood will be challenging for a spot in the Pakistan starting line-up ahead of December’s South Asia Cup and World Cup 2010 qualifiers. Two younger players could be in the national colours even sooner — in October’s under-16 Asia Cup.
“It shocks me because some of these boys are very talented and should be playing for second division teams — at least,” Khan said.
“We are not plucking these boys out of here and planting them over there. Our aim is that when they play for Pakistan they are recognised and they will come back and play here,” he added
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