Great Britain Vs Pakistan – Day 3: Sultan Azlan Shah – Preview
On the third day of the 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Great Britain will come head-to-head with Pakistan at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia, May 8.
Great Britain
Great Britain has appeared in the Azlan Shah for the second time with a team made up of a Scottish and English players, hoping to return with some improved results this year. Last time, they appeared in the 1987 Azlan Cup, concluding with a bronze medal
finish.
Opening this year at the Azlan Shah, the British team left an impression by defeating the host team 3-1 on the opening day. The team seemed to be doing well until they were defeated by the Indian squad by 1-3 on the second day of the tournament.
However, their next macth is against Pakistan and it will be worth watching.
Pakistan
This year in the Azlan Cup, the Greenshirts will miss their former captain, Zeeshan Ashraf, who led the team to victory at the 2010 Asian Games. Ashraf had voluntarily stepped back to allow the young players to debut in the seven-nation Invitational.
On the other hand, his deputy Muhammad Imran has now become the team captain for the Azlan Cup, hoping to prove his competency in the Malaysian tour.
Pakistan has a record of eight Asian Games titles and three Azlan Shah Cup titles from 1999, 2000 and 2003 with five runner-up finishes in 1983, 1987, 1991, 1994 and 2004.
The team seems well-prepared with a perfect record in the tournament so far.
Players to watch
From the Great Britain squad, the Englishman James Tindall will continue to be a stand-out with a record of more than 40 caps for Great Britain and an overall record of more than 153 international caps. He has managed to earn 65 goals in his 153 international
matches.
On the other hand, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) 2010 star Rehan Butt will be the centre of attention of the Malaysian crowd because he holds a record of more than 357 international caps. Until 2010, he recorded 149 goals in his total 357 international
appearances.
Head-to-head Statistics
The British contingent features hockey stars from the English team including Rob Moore with more than 190 international caps and James Tindall.
These Englishmen defeated Pakistan by 5-2 in their last encounter that was played in the 2010 World Cup, in March. However, Pakistan is in full form with a current undefeated record in the Azlan Cup this year.
Prediction
Pakistan seems to be stronger this year as compared to Great Britain. The match between both the teams will be quite one-sided, with Pakistan winning the match by 3-0.
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