Five players of Jr team in Azlan Shah Squad
Bureau Report

LAHORE—Pakistan hockey team named for next month’s Azlan Shah Hockey tournament in Malaysia has five members of the national junior team currently touring South Africa.
This was stated by President, Pakistan Hockey Federation,Mir Zafar ullah Khan Jamali at a news conference after completion of two-day trials for the selection of the team for the Cup being played in Ipoh from May 8-18.The same team will also tour Europe in June.
Also present were Chairman selection committee, Islah ud Din Siddique, Col retd Mudassar Asghar and Samiullah Khan (selectors),Secretary,PHF, Khalid Mahmood and Chief coach Khawaja Zak ud din and coach Naveed Alam.
PHF Chief said efforts have been made to gel experience with youth by including promising young players in the side. Full back Zeeshan Ashraf was retained as captain of the 18-member squad and Muhammad Iran will be his deputy.
Following is the team:- (Goalkeepers) Salman Akbar, Nisar Ahmad (Full backs) Zeeshan Asrhaf, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Atiq, Kamran Ahmad. (Half backs) Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Saqlain,Farid Ahmad, Muhammad Javed. (Forwards) Waqas Sharif, Rehan Butt, Shakil Abbasi, Muhammad Zubair, Haider Abbas, Waqas Akbar, Shabbir Khan and Shafqat Rasool.
“ The players making it from Jr team to ultimate level of game are Atiq, Irfan, Farid, Zubair and captain of the junior team Shafqat “,he said adding “ their selection has been made under a performance based formula “.
Jamali said the inclusion of young players is a part of process to infuse young blood to find timely and suitable replacements of the senior players.
“Selectors and team management had one thought in their mind while selecting the team to safeguard the future of Pak hockey which is only possible to groom junior players and to expose them to highest level of the game “,he said.
PHF President said a keen competition was seen in trials between upcoming goal keeper Fasih ur Rehman and senior custodian Nasir and selectors were of the view that Fasih has a good potential of becoming a fine keeper and that is why he was also included in the list of ten byes named to attend the camp for the final preparations of the team.
“ We are focusing on broaden the base of the game which is the only way to revive the game and to regain lost glory and we have been engaged for last one and a half year to groom our junior players “,he asserted.
The selected team, he said, will also take part in the tour of Europe where the team will play test matches in various countries of Europe besides taking part in a 4-nation tournament in Dublin.
“After these two tours we will be assessing the progress and performance of each player to any change, if needed to start our preparations for Olympics in July “,he said.
He said he has faith in team management to motivate the team for producing good results in coming assignments and in Olympics.
Answering a question,he said he was not disappointed as far as the future of game was concerned in Pakistan. “ The team is in way of making and we are doing this job with professional commitment “. The camp will continue here till May 4 when the team will leave for Malaysia.