PHF about to start work for World XI tour

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) will start contacting federations of Europe, Asian and Oceana Zone (Australia, New Zealand) and Olympic champions Argentina from this week to prepare a World Hockey XI to visit Pakistan in November, ‘The News’ has learnt.

The PHF has already got the go-ahead from the FIH in this connection. The World XI will play three matches in Pakistan. Informed sources said that during the Asia Cup in Dhaka where all leading Asian teams would gather PHF would talk to Asian countries through Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).

Communication with other countries will be started from early next month, the sources said. The sources said the PHF wanted a strong World XI to visit Pakistan, not an ordinary team. Some renowned hockey players of different countries and some emerging players should be part of the World XI, a PHF official said.

PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed, who is considered a legend across the hockey world, will himself invite world renowned players to play in Pakistan, the sources said. It is premature to invite Indian hockey players to be part of the World Hockey XI, the sources said.

“We will contact Germany, Holland, England, Ireland, Australia, Argentina, Malaysia and South Korea to form a World XI with the help of the FIH and the AHF,” a source said.

PHF president Brig (rtd) Khalid Khokhar and Shahbaz recently visited Dubai to meet the FIH high officials. Three international matches with a World XI were proposed during the talks between the PHF and the FIH.

The PHF has assured foolproof security arrangements for organising the three international matches. These matches will be played in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Through these matches, the PHF expects to restore international hockey in the country.

The PHF has already arranged foreign goalkeepers, mostly from Australia and Argentina, to be part of Nine-a-Side Nishan-e-Haider hockey tournament being organised in October. All the eleven teams will have foreign goalkeepers. The rest of the players will be Pakistanis.