Pakistan seek to end Europe sojourn on a high note

Greenshirts eye Netherlands scalp in opening match today.

KARACHI:

Pakistan are hoping to turn the tide against Netherlands in the two-match hockey Test series starting today, the last assignment of the Greenshirts’  month-long tour of Europe.

The team, led by Mohammad Imran, has trained hard for the series with an aim to achieve better results against the hosts, who recently thrashed the Asian Games champions 4-0 in the Four Nations Cup.

“We have been training hard for the last few days,” team manager Khawaja Junaid told The Express Tribune from Amsterdam.

“We have worked hard to rectify our mistakes and overcome our weaknesses after the series against Belgium.

“The team is targeting an improved performance against Netherlands, and we are optimistic about getting positive results,” said the Olympian. “If we avail chances and avoid mistakes, we can defeat them.”

‘Series is vital for us’

Junaid has termed the series vital, saying the results will have a strong impact on Pakistan’s upcoming assignments. “A good result will give us the confidence for important events, including the Champions Trophy, later this year,” said the manager.

“As far as training is concerned, we are satisfied. The team has learnt a lot that will help them in important tournaments ahead.”

During their tour of Europe, Pakistan won a four-nation tournament in Dublin. The team then finished last in another event featuring Holland, Germany and England, before winning a one-off Test against New Zealand, and drawing a series against lowly-ranked Belgium 1-1.





Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2011.