Greenshirts depart for India today

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team will leave for India on Saturday (today) to participate in the 2018 World Cup, which is to be played from November 28 to December 16.

The team will enter India through Wagah border.The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has already transferred daily allowances into the players’ bank accounts.

Team manager Hasan Sardar said that players are ready for the big event.“The players are participating in the World Cup after a gap of eight years. They have been keenly waiting for this tournament,” he said.

Greenshirts will play their first practice match against France on November 25 before taking on Ireland in the second practice game on November 28. They will face Germany in their World Cup opener on December 1.

Pakistan have been placed in Pool D, along with Germany, Malaysia and Netherlands.“All the teams in Pakistan’s pool are dangerous. We cannot afford to take them lightly,” Sardar said.Former Pakistan coach Roelent Oltmans is coaching Malaysia in the World Cup and knows the weaknesses of his previous team.

But Sardar was confident that Pakistan will do well against them.“We have different strategies for each team. The players’ weaknesses were worked on in the camp. If they are able to control their nerves and handle the pressure they can beat their opponents,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s newly-appointed coach Tauqeer Dar said that the training plan adopted in the camp was a modified version of the one used by Oltmans. “Unlike in Oltmans’ coaching period, we will now focus more on our attacking game,” Dar said.

“The boys have been practicing PC drills and converting attacking moves into goals. In the past we had the habit of missing goal scoring opportunities,” he said.The manager and coach requested the hockey fraternity and nation to pray for their success at the World Cup.

The senior players have also promised to try their best in the tournament.“We are not under pressure and will do our best,” said captain Rizwan Senior.Team: M Rizwan Sr (captain), Imran Butt (goal keeper), Mazhar Abbas (goal keeper), M Irfan Sr, Aleem Bilal, Mubashar Ali, Tauseeq Arshad, Tasawwar Abbas, Rashid Mahmood, Ajaz Ahmed, Ammad Shakeel Butt (vice-captain), M Irfan Jr, Ali Shan, Faisal Qadir, Abubakr Mahmood, Umar Bhutta, Atiq Arshad and Mohammad Zubair; Manager: Hasan Sardar; Head coach: Tauqeer Dar; Coaches: Rehan Butt and Danish Kaleem.