World Team Men’s Squash tees off today
Jamshed, Mansoor confident of better show
By M Bilal

ISLAMABAD—The 20th Men’s World Team Championships gets under way here at Mushaf Squash Complex from today (Thursday), with 22 nations competing for the title of World Team Champions.
England are favourite to reclaim the title they won in 1995 and 1997, with the other main contenders including defending champions and record eight-time winners Australia; 1999 champions Egypt; and hosts Pakistan, six-times champions between 1977 and 1993.
With a team of Lee Beachill, Peter Nicol, James Willstrop and Nick Matthew, England is fielding one of the strongest teams in the history of the championships.
However, second seeds Egypt will be led by new world champion Amr Shabana, backed by fellow top ten player Karim Darwish, and third seeds France feature world No1 Thierry Lincou and world No12 Gregory Gaultier. Fourth seeds Australia will be led by world No3 Anthony Ricketts, due to the ineligibility of David Palmer due to WSF suspension.
The teams will be playing initially in six qualifying pools, before the top two teams in each pool progress to have a tilt at the title in the knockout stage of the tournament, while the remaining teams play off for places 13-22.
(Pool A) England, South Africa, Kuwait, Austria. (Pool B) Egypt, New Zealand, Germany, Iran. (Pool C) France, India, Ireland. (Pool D) Australia, Netherlands, Finland, USA. (Pool E) Canada, Wales, Hong Kong. (Pool F) Malaysia, Pakistan, Scotland, Spain.
Coach Jamshed Gul and most-senior player Mansoor Zaman expressed confidence Wednesday that Pakistan team would stand on the victory podium in the 20th World Men’s Team Squash Championship commencing here on Thursday (today).
“We are confident that we will finish at least among the top three in this prestigious tournament”, Jamshed Gul told reporters. “With better luck, we can even win the tournament”, he said.
He said Pakistan had finished 9th in the last edition at Vienna (Austria) two years back but hastened to add that the players had worked hard for the latest edition and were also motivated enough to give a better performance in home conditions”.
Mansoor Zaman, currently ranked the World No.23, said he and his fellow players were experienced enough to give a good account of themselves in this tough competition.
“Our first aim will be to top our preliminary round group so that the team face easier opponent in the knockout stage of pre-quarter finals”, Mansoor said.
He said he as well as the other players in the Pakistan team, World No. 16 Shahid Zaman and Farhan Mehboob and Safeerullah Khan, were all in good form and looking forward to converting this form into better results at the squash courts.
About his own fitness, Mansoor said he had been carrying a minor heel injury but “I am sure I will overcome it by the time the tournament gets underway as I am already practicing with full vigour”.
Pakistan have been placed in Group F of the preliminary round alongside Malaysia, Spain and Scotland.