Pakistan will play attacking game in Asia Cup: Junaid

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team manager Olympian Khawaja Junaid has said that all preparation and training of the Green-shirts have been completed.

“We are now focused on our prime target in the Asia Cup 2022 — the qualification for World Cup 2022,” he said on Tuesday while talking to ‘The News’.

Junaid said that the strategy for the Asia Cup 2022 had been devised by head coach Sigfried Aikman. “He knows better how to compete with our arch-rivals India and Japan,” he added.

He said that Pakistan would play attacking game in the Asia Cup matches. “We would like to play aggressively from the beginning. Once we have got the lead we may be defensive but our overall strategy will be attacking game,” Junaid said.

He said that the shortcomings, loopholes and flaws observed during the European tour had been completely addressed during the last phase of the training camp. “How much players have learnt and improved will be seen when Pakistan take on India and Japan,” the manager said.

Junaid said that the team management had watched videos of the recent matches of India and Japan. “We noted their strategy and game plan and their strong and weak areas,” he added.

“No doubt our players are young and inexperienced and they have only recently played matches in Europe while our rivals have a lot of experience of international hockey but on the other hand our team is a good combination of senior and junior players, who are energetic, full of motivation and confidence, and have had months-long training,” he added.

“We have nothing to lose. We are already out of the Olympics, World Cup and FIH Pro League. Our players will play with a brave heart but with control, patience and peace of mind so that they do not miss the goal-scoring chances,” Junaid said.

He said that both Japan and India are Asian teams but different from each other. “Our head coach knows them very well,” he said.

Pakistan must reach the semifinals stage of Asia Cup in order to qualify for the World Cup 2023, as top four teams will qualify from Asia for the World Cup.

About forwards and goalkeepers, the manager said that Aikman had worked with them during the last phase of the training camp to remove the weaknesses marked during the European tour. “Forwards have been directed to go all-out because as a result either they will score goals or the team will get penalty corners,” he said.

To improve the performance of the goalkeepers, it was necessary to also improve the performance of the defenders so that pressure on the goalkeepers could be reduced, he said.

He said that Pakistan team was going three days before the beginning of the Asia Cup in order to get used to the weather and playing conditions in the host country.

Junaid confirmed that Pakistan would play a practice match with South Korea before the Asia Cup.

The team will leave on May 19 for Jakarta. The event will be held from May 21-June 1.