Pakistan name 18-man squad for Azlan Shah Cup

ISLAMABAD: After resolving the controversy over two training camps, a selection committee announced an 18-member Pakistan hockey squad for the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which will be held in Malaysia from May 4 to May 11.

The team comprises two goalkeepers — Abdullah and Muneeb-ur-Rehman, while it includes six defenders — Usman Bashir, Athisham, Mohammad Abdullah, Sufiyan, Abu Bakar, and captain Shakeel Butt. Midfielders Salman Razzaq, Arshad Liaqat, Moin Shakeel, Zakriya Hayat, Murtaza Yaqoob, and Ghazanfar Ali have also been selected.

Forwards Abdul Rehman, Hanan, Rana Waheed, and Ejaz Ahmed complete the squad.

Meanwhile, seven players have been selected as standbys, including Akmal Hussain, Aqeel Ahmed, Arbaz, Hammad Anjum, Abdul Rehman Jr., Abdul Manan, and Rooman.

It is worth noting that the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was recently split in two factions, one headed by Tariq Bugti and the other by Shehla Raza, both conducting separate training camps.

The camp organised by Shehla in Karachi announced a 20-member squad last week. However, after intervention by the federal government, players announced by the Shehla group were brought to Islamabad.

Following trials on Sunday, a new team was announced, comprising players from both camps. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had taken notice of these rival groups, and his coordinator on youth affairs Rana Mashhood played an important role in the selection of the new team.

He announced on Friday that the issue of rival groups would also be settled within the next two days. The members of the selection committee stated that while 18 players have been selected for the Azlan Shah Cup, these players and the seven standbys will form the team for the Nations Cup as well, to be held in Poland from May 31 to June 9.

They added that a total of 44 players participated in pre-selection and trials, with 35 being selected for final trials.

Speaking to Dawn, former Olympian and Pakistan head coach Shahnaz Sheikh said that a balanced team was selected from the available pool of players. He suggested having at least six forwards instead of four.

Nonetheless, he expressed satisfaction with the team’s selection and advised them to adopt an aggressive and attacking approach to achieve good results.

Shahnaz emphasised that playing with an attacking mindset and solid defense would lead to success.