Pakistan target India to regain Asia Cup hockey

KARACHI: Pakistan are confident of their performance in the Asia Cup hockey starting in May but feel they will face tough competition from defendi
ng champions India.

In a bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, Pakistan will be targeting India in this May’s Asia Cup to be played in Dubai.

New Pakistan coach Shahid Ali Khan said on Friday that he sees India as the main hurdle in his quest to help the Greenshirts regain the Asia Cup crown and qualify for the next year’s World Cup in India.

“For us India will be the team to beat in Dubai,” said Shahid, a Olympian who has been entrusted with the responsibility to help Pakistan win the Asia Cup to be played at the Dubai Sports City May 8-15.

The Asia Cup-winning team will earn a direct slot in the 2010 World Cup. India as the host country has already qualified for the biennial spectacle.

Shahid said South Korea is also a tough side but added the Koreans could be affected a lot by the extreme heat in Dubai in May. “If we play well, we can win the Asia Cup,” he said. “I believe it will be a three team race with Pakistan, India and Korea vying for the title. We can beat Korea but India could prove to be tough opponents,” he stressed.

Before the Asia Cup, Pakistan and India will meet in the five-nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Malaysia in April. Former champions Pakistan, ranked number eight in the world, will join New Zealand (world No 7), India (11), Malaysia (15) and Egypt (20) in the Azlan Shah Cup to be played April 6-12.

Meanwhile, seasoned defender Zeeshan Ashraf is all set to return as Pakistan captain in the Azlan Shah Cup.

Ashraf led Pakistan in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing last August but was ‘rested’ for the four-nation Hamburg Masters in Germany
– Pakistan’s last international assignment. Striker Shakeel Abbasi was appointed as captain for the Hamburg quadrangular last October. Zeeshan was included in a list of 40 odd players selected in the preliminary squad for the Azlan Shah Cup.

He is one of the seniormost players in the pool and is all set to be recalled in the national team that will be selected after trials next month.

Also in contention for captaincy is former skipper Muhammad Saqlain, who has impressed team officials with his fitness during the ongoing camp.

The provisional squad for the Ipoh assignment is currently preparing for the tournament at the National Stadium in Lahore.

A total of 42 players were picked in the provisional squad but four senior players are unavailable for the Azlan Shah Cup because of their club commitments in The Netherlands. Drag flick ace Sohail Abbas, striker Rehan Butt, midfielder Waseem Ahmed and goalkeeper Salman Akber have been exempted from the training camp and the Ipoh assignment by the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

Courtesy: Times of India