New Zealand crush Pakistan 4-1 in CW hockey match

From Alam Zeb Safi

BIRMINGHAM: The nimble-footed New Zealand demolished Pakistan 4-1 in their Group A game of the men’s hockey event of the Commonwealth Games despite goalkeeper Akmal Hussain’s stunning show here at the University of Birmingham hockey stadium on Sunday.

Under heavy rain and floodlights, it was not the day for the Green-shirts whose defence was completely exposed in front of a large Pakistani crowd which kept shouting and encouraging the team throughout the game. Had keeper Akmal not saved a number of goals it could have been more disastrous for Pakistan.

Hugo Inglis hit a double while Dylan Thomas and Sam Lane netted one goal apiece. Ghazanfar Ali netted the lone goal for Pakistan which also did not look keen to claim penalty corners.

In the sixth minute, New Zealand rallied hard but Akmal did the job to avert the danger. In the ninth minute, Pakistan could have created a solid chance but New Zealand’s defenders did well. In the 11th minute, New Zealand’s Jake Smith failed to finish from the left. Soon afterwards Mohammad Hammad Uddin fed skipper Umar Bhutta just outside the area and he then found Afraz in font of the goal but he failed to finish. New Zealand’s Hugo Inglis then struck but the review showed that it was not legal. It was 0-0 at the end of the first quarter.

In the 16th minute, Akmal made a super save on a penalty corner. New Zealand opened the scoring in the 17th minute through a reverse dash from Hugo Inglis before he doubled the lead after steering the ball through Akmal’s legs. In the 25th minute, Inglis’s attempt was foiled by Pakistan’s defence. In the next minute, Ghazanfar reduced the deficit for Pakistan on rebound when Aijaz Ahmad’s drive was stopped by the keeper. In the 30th minute, Ahmad Nadeem’s tame push found the New Zealand keeper. New Zealand were leading 2-1 at the end of the second quarter.

In the 33rd minute, Akmal saved another goal. New Zealand got back-to-back penalty corners soon afterwards but Pakistan did well to foil them. In the 38th minute, Pakistan failed to convert a penalty corner. New Zealand took their lead to 3-1 when Dylan Thomas just scooped it in over falling Akmal before Rizwan Ali’s dash on a short corner missed the target. It was 3-1 at the end of the third quarter.

Pakistan put some pressure in the fourth quarter but it did not help; rather they conceded their fourth goal when Sam Lane struck in the final minute.

Pakistan had held South Africa 2-2 in their opener on Saturday. Their chances are still alive and will face Scotland on August 3 and tough Australia on August 4.

Pakistan’s Dutch coach Siegfried Aikman was not happy with the outcome.

“It was not a good day for us,” Aikman told ‘The News’ after the match. “We did not do well today. Our players could not recover from yesterday's match and our physical fitness was not up-to the mark. And because of that we were unable to do what we wanted,” he said.

“It was physically a hard game and New Zealand were physically harder than we were. We tried to play in structure and made many technical mistakes. We need to work harder on our physical fitness.

“Akmal was fantastic. He did a good job and was really man of the match. I am very happy with him. Our defence made many wrong choices. Rizwan was tired, could not do anymore and we could not change because we had Rana who had just recovered from Covid and his energy level was low,” Aikman observed.

Pakistan skipper Umar Bhutta believed the game was still on.

“It was a pool game and we had to go all out. Had we won this we could have strengthened our position for the semi-finals. Still the game is on as we still have two games in the pocket and anything can happen,” Bhutta told ‘The News’.