Pakistan names 18-man national hockey squad for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Staff Report

LAHORE: After resolving the controversy over two training camps, a selection committee has 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. Seasoned Ammad Shakeel Butt will lead the team with defender Abu Bakar as his deputy. The three-member selection committee consisting of head coach Roelant Oltmans, Monzoor-ul Hasan Sr and deputy director-general of the Pakistan Sports Board Mohammad Shahid Islam finalised the squad. The team comprises two goalkeepers Abdullah and Muneebur-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 Roman.

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 Khan played an important role in the selection of the new team. Speaking to media, 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.