Champions Trophy preparations: Imran Butt focused on improving body block

New penalty format gives keeper and striker equal responsibility, he says

KARACHI:

National hockey goalkeeper Imran Butt has said he is working on improving his body block in the ongoing camp at the Karachi Club of Pakistan, as Pakistan prepare for the Hero Champions Trophy scheduled to take place from December 6 to December 14 in Bhubaneswar, India.

According to the 26-year-old, the previous penalty format in hockey was ‘99% at the striker’s end’, but in the new setup introduced a year back, both the keeper and the striker have equal responsibility. “The keeper has to read the striker, who in turn has to pass the keeper and stick it in,” Butt told The Express Tribune. “This competition [The Champions Trophy] has more chances to see matches being taken to a penalty shootout as top teams from around the world will be taking part. I have to work more on my body block and learn to read the dodges better.”

Pakistan have been placed in Pool A along with Australia, Belgium and England, while Pool B comprises hosts India, Argentina, Netherlands and Germany.

Butt believes the exposure in India while playing against the world’s top teams will help them in next year’s qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics.  “Playing more with the European countries will help us in doing our best to qualify for the Olympics,” he said.

Pakistan is the lowest ranked side in the competition, and currently occupy the 11th spot in the world standings. The Greenshirts are going into the competition off the back of a silver medal at the Asian games, where they lost the final in dramatic fashion after a shootout with India.

“Pakistan went into the final at the Asian Games after being out of international hockey for almost a year,” Butt added, before claiming that he feels that the side have a chance to win the trophy. “We can do anything, we came third in the last edition [of the Champions Trophy] and now we are aiming for the top of the board.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2014.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.