Pakistan draw Malaysia 1-1 in last Games outing

Men in Green score, then concede to bag fourth stalemate in as many matches

KARACHI: Pakistan men’s hockey team drew their fourth and last match 1-1 against Malaysia at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre to end their 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign with four draws and four points in group B.

Pakistan, led by Muhammad Rizwan Sr, entered the match against Malaysia with three draws in their last three matches against Wales (1-1), India (2-2) and England (2-2).

The Men in Green opened the scoring with a field goal in the ninth minute of the first quarter courtesy Shafqat Rasool.

They were able to secure the lead till the half-time buzzer blared but Malaysia, fresh from a ten-minute break, attacked Pakistan’s goal and were successful in pushing one past the line in the 39^th minute of the match.

Ramadan Rosli was Pakistan’s tormentor as he scored a field goal for Malaysia to bring the score on level terms. Both team tried to score afterwards but the match ended in a stalemate.

Pakistan, with the draw, dropped to the fourth spot in group B and will now feature in the seventh-eighth position match on April 13.

A disappointed Rizwan Sr told The Express Tribune that they tried their best but their conversion was lacking.

“The team made seven attempts on Malaysia’s goal out of which only one was successful. We could have scored a goal but we made small mistakes which led us to this draw,” he said. “In modern hockey, even a minor mistake can destroy your move.”

He continued by saying that lack of team chemistry led to undesirable results. “Every player has to be a step ahead of the move and should be ready to carry the ball forward and that can only be achieved by playing more matches with the same players.”

Rizwan Sr added that team’s main motive at Commonwealth Games was to get good practice in order to prepare for the upcoming World Cup. “We gained a lot of experience by playing here and we will take this experience back home and prepare for the big assignment. However, if we had wins in this tournament, it would have boosted our confidence more.”