Netherlands outclass Pakistan as tour ends

Greenshirts go down fighting in final match of series.

KARACHI:

Pakistan tasted a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands as the Greenshirts ended their month-long European tour with a series defeat in Amsterdam yesterday. Pakistan, who held the Dutch to a draw on Friday, could not keep up with the pace of the hosts to suffer a 1-0 loss in the two-match Test series.

Netherlands scored the opener in the first session before the world’s leading goal-scorer Sohail Abbas struck the equaliser a minute into the second-half. Abbas, who saved Pakistan in the first match as well, converted the penalty corner as the two teams were level 1-1. However, the Dutch scored the winner minutes before the final whistle as Pakistan ended their campaign on a low.

But team manager Khwaja Junaid was not too disappointed at the result. “It is not about winning at this point,” Junaid told The Express Tribune. “Our aim was to play pressure games and find our flaws.

“We’ve learnt some valuable lessons on the field and the team has been working hard. Our temperament has improved,” said Junaid.

The Olympiad added that the aim of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was to give maximum exposure to the team ahead of the Champions Trophy that takes place in December. He said the team had shown signs of progress.

“The players would give up if they were trailing 2-0. But now the mentality has changed and the players have pushed the opposition till the final whistle.”

On the match against Netherlands, Junaid said that the team played an intense game without giving too many opportunities. He said that Netherlands are ranked among the top teams and the results that Pakistan achieved cannot be labelled as a bad performance.

Meanwhile, Pakistan goal-keeper Salman Akbar said that the European tour has made a huge difference to the team. “Every player has learnt a great deal and worked on his flaws.

“The level of competition among the players has increased and they are not taking their spot in the team for granted,” added Akbar.

“The concept of seniors and juniors is no longer there. It doesn’t matter how experienced the seniors are. All the players, including the youngsters, are trying all hard to cement their place in the playing-eleven.”

The squad returns to Pakistan tomorrow ahead of a training camp that starts in the second week of August to prepare the team for the Asian Hockey Championship in September.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2011.