 "Muhammad Rizwan Sr to lead Pakistan in must-win FIH Olympics Qualifiers against Netherlands")
Karachi: Muhammad Rizwan Senior will lead Pakistan in the two-match do-or-die FIH Olympic Qualifiers against the Netherlands to be held later this month in Amsterdam.
Chief selector Manzoor Junior on Friday announced a 19-member squad for the two matches scheduled for 26 and 27 October.
The squad was finalised after two-day trials in Lahore and is a blend of young and experienced players.
Pakistan’s last appearance in any international competition was in last year’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar, where it performed very poorly that led to the removal of Shahbaz Ahmed as secretary and sacking of the coaching staff.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has also invited a state-level coach from Australia to take part in the ongoing camp.
The PHF has named former Olympian Khawaja Junaid as the head coach of the team.
Pakistan, which is presently ranked 17th in the world, have to win against world No 3 the Netherlands to directly qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Pakistan squad: Waqar (goalkeeper), Amjad Ali (goalkeeper), Mubashar Ali, Rizwan Ali, Imad Butt, Abubakr Mahmood, Ali Shaan, Ijaz Ahmed, Umar Bhutta, Muhammad Rizwan senior (captain), Rana Sohail, Rana Waheed, Ghazanfar Ali, Hammad Anjum, Irfan senior.
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