Pak captain wants to beat India on birthday

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf is relishing the idea that his team’s clash against old rivals India in their World Cup opener on Feb 28 will put the spotlight back on hockey in this otherwise cricket-mad region.

The seasoned defender, who is confident that his team can conquer India after beating the traditional rivals in their recent matches, said that the much-awaited encounter will live up to expectations of millions of fans on both sides of the border.

“Hockey is still very much a sport that is loved both in Pakistan and India,” said Zeeshan. “And it is quite a fortunate thing that we are having our first match in the World Cup against India. It is bound to attract fans in both countries and I’m confident that my team will come out with the best possible showing in it,” he added.

Zeeshan, who will turn 32 on February 28, is hoping to celebrate his birthday with a victory lap in New Delhi. “It’s our first match and the fact that we are playing India makes it very important. It will be a must-win game for us.”

Zeeshan said that the presence of a world class player like Sohail Abbas – regarded as the world’s best drag flicker – will provide Pakistan the sort of firepower needed to do well in major events. “We are high on confidence after having a considerable number of seniors in the side. Short corners will be a reason to celebrate as we have Sohail Abbas back with us. He is the best in the world when it comes to converting penalty corners and I’m sure that he would be an asset for us in New Delhi.” However, Zeeshan conceded that India will begin the match with a big plus as they will be playing on home soil. “India definitely have a few advantages like the home turf and support. But as you know, a match between India and Pakistan is always more than just a match. We will go all out to win it.”

Zeeshan added: “We play aggressively on the field but outside the arena, I have really close friends in the Indian team like Sandeep Singh, Rajpal Singh, Deepak Thakur and Prabhjot Singh. There is no rivalry once the match is over.”