Pakistan chief selector Samiullah Khan says side can hold India to a draw at men's Hockey World Cup
Pakistan chief selector Samiullah Khan said on Thursday that Pakistan can hold India to a draw when the two teams meet in Group D at the men's Hockey World Cup on August 19, and he made the remark after naming Pakistan's World Cup squad.
India and Pakistan remain traditional rivals in hockey, but Samiullah acknowledged India have had the upper hand over the past decade; Pakistan last beat India in 2016 and their most recent draw came in 2022. India have won the last five meetings between the sides, with victories recorded during the Hockey Pro League leg.
Samiullah said Pakistan will need to get at least a point against India to aid qualification from the group and stated: "Look, realistically the key is holding India at least to a draw and we have the capacity to beat Wales but our toughest opponent is England who are ranked high while we are placed 12th right now in the FIH rankings."
Samiullah, a former Pakistan captain, said head coach and team director Herman Kruis will join the squad in the Netherlands after finishing his current pre-tournament commitments there.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has appointed Dutch coach Bob Johan Veldhof and Christopher Bowen as assistant coaches to work alongside Kruis.
The selector said the squad was chosen after discussions with the coaching staff and the national selectors. Striker Abu Bakar Mahmood has been named captain while former skipper Ammad Shakeel Butt remains in the side.
The 23-player squad named comprises Waqar, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Moeen Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Adil Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hammaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul, Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood (C), Ali Raza, Abdul Manan and Muhammad Ammad.
India and Pakistan meet on August 19 in Group D, a fixture Samiullah said is crucial to Pakistan's hopes of progressing out of the group.