Great Britain vs. Malaysia: Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup - Match Preview
One of the most striking games of the first day of the 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup will be Great Britain versus Malaysia to be played in Ipoh, Malaysia on May 5.
Great Britain and Malaysia hockey squads will go head-to-head in the third game of the opening day of the seven-nation tournament. England has faced Malaysia 20 times of which they have won 12 games and lost two matches. The remaining games were drawn between
the two teams.
Great Britain
Great Britain has seen a dip in their form ever since they won the 2009 European Championship. However, it will be their first ever participation of the English team as Great Britain in the invitational event. They had contested the tournament five times
representing England and clinched the title once in 1994.
Apart from Azlan Shah Cup, the English team has a good track record in field hockey during recent years. As an England team, they won a silver medal in the Champions Trophy and earned fourth place in the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. They also captured
the EuroHockey Nations Cup held in 2009.
Malaysia
Hockey in Malaysia is getting popular with every passing season and the best way is to contest the international events and face the world’s best teams. They are currently standing at the 15th place in the world rankings. The national team of
Malaysia failed to qualify for the 2010 FIH Hockey World Cup, as they managed to acquire eighth place in the Commonwealth Games. Despite having enthusiasm for hockey, the Malaysian team has not won any major tournament thus far.
However, the level of the team has improved with the passage of time. Their last international game was against Pakistan in the finals of the 2010 Asian Games. Malaysia lost the finals by two goals but secured their first ever silver medal in the event.
Key Players
Great Britain
As the British giants prepare to take on Malaysia, their team includes the usual players, who will be required to their best in the game. They have a tendency to take things for granted, thus the game against Malaysia will be a litmus test for their preparations.
Matt Daly, Stephen d**k and Niall Stott will be the focus of attention.
Malaysia
Azreen Rizal Nasir, the legendary defender has been dropped from the team due to injuries. The entire Malaysian defensive line will mainly depend on Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim, Baljit Singh Charun and Mohamed Madzli Ikmar. The Malaysian team retained most
of the names who took part in the Asian Games, but some new players are also promoted from the junior squads. It will be a real challenge for Malaysia to prove their worth in International Hockey.
Prediction
As per the past track record, the English team is in better position as compared to Malaysia. It is expected that England will win the game by a narrow margin.
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