Hockey: Abbasi replaces Imran as captain for Australia tour

Abbas returns as hockey selection committee unveils 19-man squad.

KARACHI: Striker Shakeel Abbasi has replaced the ailing Mohammad Imran as captain of the Pakistan team while penalty-corner specialist Sohail Abbas makes it to the 19-man squad for the Australia tour, announced the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

Imran, who is suffering from malaria, will still travel with the team to Australia where the Greenshirts play back-to-back tournaments. The PHF selection committee, while terming the defender’s place in the playing-eleven as doubtful, has also included Mohammad Irfan Junior as the 19th man.

Meanwhile, the world’s leading goal-scorer Abbas, who was dropped from the Asian Champions Trophy squad, was also included in the contingent after the team’s poor penalty-corner conversion during the tournament in China.

Other changes for the Australia-bound squad include striker Mohammad Zubair making it to the list while goal-keeper Imran Butt and Kashif Javed faced the axe.

Pakistan play a Four-Nation Hockey Tournament before the International Super Hockey Series in Perth from October 20 to November 4.

The team was named following trials, held at  Islamabad’s Naseer Bunda Stadium, that were observed by the selection committee headed by Olympian Hanif Khan.

Imran will be back as captain: chief selector 

Hanif said that Imran would return as captain after his recovery. “We’ve not announced a vice-captain,” the chief selector told The Express Tribune.  “It’s because the dynamics of the team will be the same after Imran recovers.

“The purpose to keep him [Imran] with the team is to keep him in the loop ahead of important tournaments.”

The chief selector said the chosen team was the best pool of available players. “We’ve not made any experiments. The same players may be retained for the Champions Trophy depending on their performance in Australia,” said Hanif while hoping that the team would do better in the penalty-corner conversion department.

Khwaja Junaid was also retained as team manager while head coach Michel van dan Heuvel will also travel with the team.

Abbas must perform in big matches: PHF president

Meanwhile, the PHF President Qasim Zia admitted the need for a penalty-corner specialist but stressed that Abbas should raise his game in crunch matches.

“Unfortunately Abbas is not performing in the high-profile matches,” said Zia. “It’s very important for a player of his calibre to play a leading role,” added the PHF president before reiterating that the team needed Abbas’ experience.

Zia added that the team was selected purely on the basis of form and fitness. He also said that the Greenshirts will tour Europe before next year’s London Olympics, which will prepare them better for the mega event.

Pakistan squad

Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Imran, Sohail Abbas, Imran Shah, Mohammad Irfan, Kashif Shah, Mohammad Rizwan Junior, Mohammad Tousiq, Waseem Ahmed, Rashid Mehmood, Fareed Ahmed, Abdul Haseem Khan, Shafqat Rasool, Mohammad Waqas, Mohammad Rizwan Senior, Ali Shan, Mohammad Zubair, Umar Bhutta, Muhammad Irfan Junior

Officials: Khwaja Junaid (manager), Heuvel van dan Michel (head coach), Shahid Ali Khan and Ajmal Khan Lodhi (coaches), Faiz-ur-Rehman (physiotherapist), Nadeem Khan Lodhi (video analyst)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2011.