"Wait for a few minutes, I'll get him too," Shahbaz Ahmed, former Pakistan hockey great who is also known as the 'Maradona of hockey', said this after exchanging greetings with this reporter yesterday noon at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore, and went inside to look for Tahir Zaman, another Pakistan hockey legend.

Shahbaz and Tahir are big names in Asian hockey, both winning bronze medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the gold medal in the 1994 World Cup in Sydney for Pakistan.

The legendary duo also share a deep bond with Bangladesh as in the 90s, both of them represented Mohammedan in the Premier Division Hockey League and led them to hattrick league triumphs.

A little while passed and soon Shahbaz came out with Tahir from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) office, which is also inside the stadium premises, and then the conversations flowed.

"Tahir and I played exactly three years in Bangladesh and we really enjoyed our time there. Bangladeshi public loved us and they love our hockey. It was an incredible experience, it was unforgettable," said the 56-year-old Shahbaz.

Shahbaz and Tahir arrived in Dhaka as Olympic medallists and World Cup winners and their sheer presence created a buzz around hockey at the time with people coming to the stadium just to watch them play.

But those days of excitement are now a distant memory and both Shahbaz and Tahir were saddened by the sorry state of Bangladesh's hockey right now.

"Bangladesh's hockey system remains the same. I don't think you people have improved a lot….For a game like hockey, which isn't a big game in your country, you will need consistency. If players know that he can't go aboard to play in any major tournament, he won't be motivated. When a young player isn't motivated, he can't perform well," said Shahbaz, who is also the secretary general of the PHF.

Meanwhile, Tahir, who is also the head coach of the Pakistan's national men's hockey team, claimed that inconsistency in administration and financial drawbacks are the main problems plaguing hockey in both Bangladesh and Pakistan.

"If we can have consistency in our processes, it will allow us to do some good work for hockey in Bangladesh and Pakistan," Tahir said.

"For example, suppose you are in the position to find a solution to a problem. I'm not there, I'm at the other side but I have the solution to the problem. But, it's you who will have to make the decision. So if we can be on the same page and do our work, then things can be solved.

"One of the major hurdles I would say is that we don't have a strong sustainable financial system in our country. Hockey has become a very expensive game now. You can't play hockey unless you have shoes worth USD 150, good quality hockey sticks cost more than USD 300, goalkeeping gear is nearing USD 5000. So, we have to have a very sustainable financial model to run the game."

Tahir also spoke about how sudden changes in administration has affected hockey's development in both Bangladesh and Pakistan.

"Even in your country, inconsistency is there. For six months or one year, one guy is running the affairs and suddenly there is a change and someone else comes in. And he is there with a new programme and new manager. And the previous programme gets thrown into the dustbin. Then, you have to start again. Who suffers because of this, the players. How can we expect them to do their best when their learning and development process keeps getting interrupted," he added.

Shabaz could only express their disappointment at the ground reality and could not foresee better days ahead.

"I feel really disappointed and broken down when I see the current standard. It's not just the players' fault, the government is at fault too as they are not investing enough in hockey.

"If you don't invest enough, don't give central contracts, don't pay the coaches and don't give them jobs, who will play hockey?"