Rizwan Sr named to lead Pakistan in CW Games

KARACHI: Pakistan would be captained by Mohammad Rizwan Senior at the Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to 15, Chief Selector Islahuddin announced here on Tuesday.

Ammad Shakeel Butt would be his deputy, he added while naming an 18-member squad. The team has been selected after two-day trials at Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium. PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed was also present during the trails.

The chief selector and other members of the selection committee had a discussion with manager Hasan Sardar and head coach Roelant Oltmans before finalising the team. PHF sources said that before leaving the country for the Commonwealth Games, the seniors would play two or three matches with Pakistan’s junior team in Karachi. They said the team management wanted to see the form and fitness of juniors who could be sent in case of any injury to some member of the senior squad. It may be recalled that the junior team played well against the World XI that visited some months ago. The World XI included some big names of international hockey.

The schedule of the matches between the seniors and the juniors will be announced laterPHF has directed the juniors to report at Abdul Sattar Edhi Stadium on March 15. Sardar said the training camp of the Green-shirts would be continued till their departure for Australia.

He said the team’s shortcomings noticed in Oman were being addressed. Holland’s famous coach Roelant Oltmans has been training the boys on modern lines days. He said that Pakistan hopefully would get two or three practice matches in Australia before the Games begin.

One of the matches is expected against Scotland. Sardar said the CW Games was a tough tournament. “Our team is under a rebuilding phase and it may take time to click. Our main target is the Asian Games,” he added.

Pakistan are to appear in Champions Trophy in June in Holland, Asian Games in August and September in Indonesia, Asian Champions Trophy, and, the most important of all, World Cup in December in India.

Pakistan squad: Imran Butt, Mazhar Abbas, Irfan Senior, Tazeemul Hassan, Mubashar Ali, Faisal Qadir, Ammad Shakeel Butt (Vice Captain), Tauseeq Arshad, Tasawwar Abbas, Abubakr Mahmood, Irfan Junior, Shafqat Rasool, Dilber, Ateeq Arshad, Ali Shan, Arslan Qadir, Rizwan Senior (Captain), Rana Sohail.