Discarded players to be on radar of selection committee

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey selection committee will keenly observe the performances of those senior players who have been ignored for the last few events during the national championship in Sukkur.
These players include Ali Shan, Imran Butt, Haseem Khan, Mubashir, Tausiq, Dilbar, Kashif Ali, Asfar Yaqoob, Shafqat Rasool and M Zubair. The selection committee wants to see them in action to judge their form and fitness.
The championship will be held from December 15-30. The Green Shirts’ performance has been pathetic in the last three international events.Pakistan are to participate in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Champions Trophy and the World Cup next year.
The PHF’s policy to induct too many young players failed to produce good results. This left the selection committee with no option but to give chances to discarded senior players who can sustain the pressure in crunch moments.
Sources said that the performance of goalkeepers, forwards, defenders, and penalty corner specialists was not satisfactory. So there is much scope for the senior players to get back into the team, they added.
Sources said the Green-shirts would have to play extensive hockey in the coming months. In January, a World Hockey XI will visit Pakistan to play three international matches against the Green-shirts. Thus, the PHF needs a bunch of 20 to 25 players.
There is no good penalty corner specialist right now. Abu Bakar, who was given chances as penalty corner specialist, failed to score on five penalty corners in recent matches. The goalkeeping has been so bad that Australia scored nine goals in the recent four-nation tournament match against Pakistan.
Thus, the selection committee wants to try various combinations so that the team may at least give tough time to the rivals. In the world cup qualifying rounds in London, the team won only two matches and lost five. Same was the situation in Asia Cup as the team won only two matches and lost four. In the four-nation tournament in Australia, the team finished at the bottom.