Pakistan vs. New Zealand: Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup - Preview
Pakistan and New Zealand will go head to head on Thursday, May 5, in the opening game of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup starting in Ipoh, Malaysia. The two teams are uniformly determined to make the podium finish.
Pakistan
Currently ranked 8th, Pakistan team will be looking to play competitive hockey in the tournament. The Green Sticks will be confident of putting up a good show, as the side won the Asian Games gold medal after two decades, in 2010.
Pakistan edged past Malaysia in the finals of the Asian games held in Guangzhou, China and secured a direct ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.
After winning the Asian games, the Pakistan hockey team, which is comprised of youngsters and experienced players, will be on high impetus against New Zealand. However, the Pakistani team has not played any international match since last year’s Asian Games.
Pakistan’s track record in the Malaysia-based tournament is very impressive. Pakistan won three editions of the tournament in 1999, 2000 and 2004, besides securing the runner-up position on five occasions.
New Zealand
The Black Sticks are currently standing at 7th place. New Zealand showed an impressive performance in 2010 and earned a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games.
In recent practice matches, the Black Sticks thrashed Under-21 Malaysian team by six goals and managed a draw against the senior team of Malaysia. The side lost to India by two goals, 5-3.
When compared to Pakistan, New Zealand does not have an impressive track record in the Azlan Shah Hockey Cup. The side could only stand on the fourth place on four different occasions in 1995, 2003, 2008 and 2009.
Players to watch out for
Pakistan
Many legendary players are part of the current squad, who played a vital role in winning the gold medal in the 16th Asian Games. Shakeel Abbasi, Rehan Butt, Waseem Ahmed, Muhammad Imran and world’s highest goal scorer, Sohail Abbas, will be a
real threat to the New Zealand team.
New Zealand
Experienced New Zealand players Shea Macklin, Simon Child, Phillip Burrows and Ryan Archibald are not part of the squad due to their commitments with leagues in Belgium and Holland.
Blair Hopping and Bradley Shaw are also out of the team due to personal reasons, which will dent the performance of the team. New Zealand will depend on youngsters, particularly on Nick Wilson and Stephen Jenness to put up a show in the tournament.
Prediction
Pakistan will head into the match as favourites and are expected to win the contest, 2-0.
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