ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and national team management have introduced two strategic changes to the squad for the second leg of the FIH Pro League, which will also serve as preparation for the all-important World Cup Qualifying round.
PHF Secretary Rana Mujahid, alongside Head Coach Tahir Zaman, announced the revised lineup at Bunda Ground on Wednesday, underlining the management’s intent to plug defensive gaps exposed during the opening phase of the competition. Goalkeeper Abdullah Ishtiaq has been replaced by Ali Raza, while defender Mannan Raza makes way for Umair Star. Both outgoing players were part of Pakistan’s squad that featured in the first leg clashes against Argentina and the Netherlands. “Both changes have been made strictly in line with the team’s requirements,” Rana Mujahid stated, emphasizing that performance and tactical needs guided the decision.
Head Coach Tahir Zaman was candid in his assessment of Pakistan’s showing in the opening leg. “Our defence did not perform up to the desired standard in Argentina,” he admitted. “These changes are aimed at tightening the backline and reducing the number of goals conceded. From the second leg onwards, our clear objective is to make a strong push and get on the points table.”
Mohammad Imad Butt has been entrusted with the captaincy of 20-member squad as Pakistan gear up for a challenging campaign against two of the world’s top hockey nations Australia and Germany.
“The same squad will also represent Pakistan in the World Cup qualifiers in Egypt,” Rana Mujahid stated, adding that all outstanding dues of the players would be cleared by Friday, underlining PHF’s commitment to player welfare. Goalkeepers Ali Raza and Umair Sattar have been included in the squad, while the team features a blend of experience and youth.
The selected players are: Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Ali Raza, Arshad Liaquat, Muhammad Abdullah, Sufyan Khan, Arbaaz Ahmed, Hamad Anjum, Moeed Shakeel, Ghazanfar Ali, Zakaria Liaquat, Umair Sattar, Hanan Shahid, Rana Waheed, Nadeem Ahmed, Abdul Rehman, Rana Waleed, Afraz and Abu Bakar.
The team officials accompanying the squad are Head Coach Tahir Zaman, Mohd Usman, Zeeshan Ashraf, Nadeem Lodhi, Muhammad Aslam and Adeel. Pakistan will depart for Australia on February 2, where they will open their Pro League second-round campaign against the hosts on February 10 in Hobart, followed by a clash against Germany on February 11.
The Green Shirts will again face Australia on February 13 before concluding their fixtures against Germany on February 14. Tahir Zaman said, “It is not easy to face teams like Australia and Germany, but these are the matches our players need. After a long time, Pakistan will be competing against top-ranked teams, which is crucial for our revival.”
