Arsalan, Aleem dropped as Islah announces squad

KARACHI: Pakistan dropped forward Arsalan Qadir as an 18-member squad was announced on Monday for the Asian Games.

Arsalan had been part of the national hockey team for a long time. The selectors also dropped Aleem Bilal, who was part of the team for Champions Trophy. Mohammad Rizwan Sr has been retained as the captain and Ammad Shakeel Butt has been named the vice-captain.

Chairman national selection committee Islahuddin announced the team for Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from August 18 to September 2. The trials were conducted at Dr Shah-Islahuddin Academy on Monday. Selectors Farhat Khan and Musadiq were not present on the occasion. Ayaz Mehmood and Qasim Khan were part of the selection process.

Islah said that Musadiq was engaged in the wedding of his daughter, while messages were sent to Farhat but contact could not be made. He said that in the selection of the players the opinion of head coach Roelant Oltmans and manager Hasan Sardar was given importance.

He said that physical fitness and form of the players were the criteria for selection. Islah said that he saw the players in the training camp regularly.He said that Pakistan would do well at Asian Games if the players played according to the plan and gave their 100 percent.

He said that two goalkeepers had been selected. Pakistan junior hockey team captain Junaid Manzoor was included in the senior team as a forward. Sardar said on the occasion that Pakistan must win the gold medal in Asian Games to get direct qualification for Olympics 2020. “Otherwise we would have to traverse a long journey to qualify for the Olympics,” he said.

He said that forwards’ failure to score was a serious matter. He said he would work to improve scoring with the help of assistant coach Rehan Butt during the training camp. He said that excluding Arsalan and inducting Junaid was part of the plan to improve the forward line.

He said that the team would perform well in the Asian Games, having faced such strong teams as Australia, Argentina and Belgium in Champions Trophy.Squad: Imran Butt, Amjad Ali, Irfan Sr, Mubashir, Faisal Qadir, Rashid Mehmood, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Tasawwur Abbas, Umar Bhutta, Rizwan Sr, Shafqat Rasool, Taufiq Arshad, Ejaz Ahmed, Abu Bakar Mehmood, Ateeq Arshad, Ali Shan, Dilbar and Junaid Manzoor.