Nowhere to hide as Pakistan humiliated 8-1

Australia run riot to go top of league rankings in Sultan of Johor Cup

KARACHI: While many would have expected the match between the joint leaders of the Sultan of Johor Cup to be a close-fought affair, it turned out to be anything but as Pakistan were thrashed 8-1 by Australia in Johor Bahru, Malaysia yesterday.

Australia, who had hit New Zealand for nine on Wednesday, did not waste much time in drawing first blood as in the seventh minute, Blake Govers opened the scoring.

Tom Crates then successfully converted a penalty corner five minutes later to make it 2-0, while Govers netted his second goal of the game in the 16th minute.

The Australian defence marked Pakistan’s forwards out of the game and did not allow them any space to settle. But despite the heavy man-marking, Pakistan Atiq Arshad managed to find space and slot the ball into the back of the net to make it 3-1 in the 25th minute.

But hopes of a Pakistani comeback were instantly quashed as five minutes later the Colts conceded their fourth goal of the match, courtesy Tom Craig, to end the first half 4-1.

It was all Australia after that as in the second half they smashed four more goals — Max Hendry (50th), Ryan Procter (52nd, 67th) and Frazer Gerrard (64th) — as Pakistan were left bruising.

Coach Tahir Zaman had nothing to say except praise the way Australia played. “We are really disappointed with ourselves and with the result but Australia were too fast for us to handle. They are the strongest team in the tournament and it showed in the way they played today,” he told The Express Tribune.

Pakistan next face Japan of the tournament and need at least a draw if they are to make it to the next round.

And Zaman is confident his team will bounce back from this setback. “We will bounce back from this. But now we know how much more we have to work if we are to win the title,” he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2016.

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