Captain Imran confident of better show

Says Abbottabad camp will benefit ahead of Hockey World League .

KARACHI: Despite a last-place finish in their last international assignment, Pakistan captain Mohammad Imran was confident of the team doing well at the upcoming Hockey World League that also serves as qualifiers for next year’s World Cup.

As the Greenshirts assembled for a training camp ahead of the event to take place in Malaysia, the team was looking for improvement after a poor show at the Azlan Shah Cup. The training camp, which began in Abbottabad yesterday, will continue till June 15 with the altitude helping the players improve their fitness levels.

Out of the 26 selected probables, seasoned trio of Mohammad Waseem, Rashid Mehmood and Rizwan Senior missed the opening session. However, they were expected to join the camp in the evening.

“We are back at full strength,” Imran told The Express Tribune. “We made some experiments for the Azlan Shah Cup but now the time for experiments is over.”



The captain said the recent Malaysian league, in which 13 Pakistan players took part, will help them in the forthcoming assignment.

“The players have found a rhythm because of the league and know Malaysian conditions better. I personally gained a lot of confidence and improved my short-corner skills,” said the seasoned defender.

“This camp will further improve our skills. I hope for a significant improvement in our fitness standards after training here for a couple of weeks.”

Imran also lauded the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s decision to retain the same team management headed by Akhtar Rasool.

“Our coaching panel is a combination of legends and modern coaches. The induction of Tahir Zaman and trainer Adnan Zakir will help us come in line with modern hockey.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2013.