KARACHI: A British-based Pakistani footballer Zeeshan Rehman has stressed that only foreign coaches could lift the graph of the country’s football, saying it is right time to take decision in the right direction and hire the services of foreign coach.

“There is an abundance of talent in Pakistan but how to nourish and trim it is a big problem impeding the upward movement of the global sport in the country. I see that only good foreign coaches would be able to put Pakistanís football on right track,” the central defender Zeeshan Rehman told The News through an email interview.

Zesh, who had made his international debut with the SAFF Championship match against Sri Lanka here on Decmber7, 2005, said that the Pakistani footballers are having good fitness level, but skill-wise they are weak and it is this factor which prevents them to perform up to the expectations.

“I have seen that in Pakistan the coaches mostly focus on improving the fitness of the boys, but donít focus on improving their skills. Keeping in view such a point, the football authorities must bring in a well qualified foreign coach and it is high time to take the decision,” Zeeshan, who was born in Birmingham on October14, 1983, said.

It is pertinent to mention here that after the pathetic performance of Pakistan football team in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup in early May in Chinese Taipei and then in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship hosted by Maldives and Sri Lanka in early June this year, the football authorities have started thinking about bringing in a foreign coach to put the football team on winning track.

A special committee, having more than 20 experts, has also been constituted which will meet on July8 at Lahore to not only deliberate on the causes of the national teamís such a humiliating thrashing, particularly in the SAFF event, but will also give the PFF their suggestions whether foreign coach is indispensable for the country or not.

A tall, lanky, Zeeshan, who is representing Queens Park Rangers, a famous club striving for getting promotion to the English Premier League, is also desirous to see a solid league structure in Pakistan, saying, without a proper league system Pakistan would not be able to produce good footballers.

Zeeshan, who unfortunately missed the SAFF Championship in early May because of acute dehydration, said since he joined the Pakistan squad almost three years he has been seeing an improvement in the team’s performance.

“The way we earned a goalless draw against the Asian Champions Iraq during the second leg match in connection with the World Cup 2010 Qualifiers held in Aleppo, Syria on October28 last year is a huge step in a right direction,” he said.

“It was a fantastic tie and I will never forget the moment,” Zeeshan recalled.

However, Pakistan had lost to Iraq in their home leg of the Qualifiers 7-0 before the match that was ended in 0-0 draw.

Zesh, who has also played from clubs like Fulham, Brighton, Norwitch City, said: “I chose to play for Pakistan because I was looking for a realistic chance of long international career. Also, Pakistan is the country where my parents have born and it is a land having a lot of potential because of it’s huge population. I see a bright future for myself as footballer and for Pakistan as a strong football side.”

“I am currently playing for Queens Park Rangers in the championship in England. It is a very ambitious club seeking promotion to the premier league. I am entering my third season for the club and have played 50 games for it in the last two seasons,” Zeeshan concluded.