Pakistan Under 18 left impression of skills in Australian national U18
Championship
By Adrees Malik
Pakistan hockey team is the best
team of the tournament “skills are amazing”, I am really impressed with the
Green team, ohhh “the COLTS are astonishing”, “I love Victoria but after this
match I become the fan of Pakistan team”, “show stealer is the Pakistan team of
first round” It was the observation of everyone sitting in the grand and side
stands of Tasmania Hockey Centre Hobart, as per the views collected from the execrators
and staff of the opponents in the Australian national under 18 hockey
championship 2017.
It was the first practical effort
from Pakistan hockey federation to boost the standard of the hockey players
after the decline and drought of three decades in international medal in Olympics
or world cup.
PHF is no doubt appraisable after
this effort to get confirmation from Hockey Australia to participate in their
national tournament but hockey Australia needed more than PHF because of this
brave decision.
Pakistan Under 18 team played
total five matches in first round and won four while lost the match against NSW
A with a margin of one goal (3-2).
The first-round stats
The opening game victory (2-1) was
enough to boost the moral of the boys against Victoria for the rest of the tournament
matches but the next defeat against NSW A by 3-2 also learning phase for the
coach Kamran Ashraf and players. the next match was against queen’s land who
won the visitors of the tournament by 3-1. South Australia was the next
defeater for Pakistan and against them easy win by 3-0 griped the green team
for 2nd round slot. The last and fifth match was against northern
territories and it was look like easy but NT played well, at the end Green
shirts sealed victory with 4-2.
The team stats are good as
Pakistan Under scored 14 goals in five matches and half of it that is 7 scored
against them, which is acceptable total but the worry sign is the disciplinary temperament
of the boys. Pakistan
Pakistan scored 14 goals in total
and 10 out of fourteen were field goals which is positive sign for matureness
in the field temperament of the boys.
According to the stats of the
first round Afraz hakeem scored all four field goals, Naveed alam junior and
umair sattar two field goal by each Gazanfar ali scored one field and one on short
corner (PC). Shahzaib Khan also made one field goal while Rizwan ali and Nadeem
ahmad each scored a goal on PC.
Discipline is the key to stand
As earlier mentioned the worry
sign for team management is discipline on the field, Pakistan team faced twelve
cards in first round (7 green and 5 yellow). Three-time yellow card for Adeel
resulted a match suspension on him and he was not part of the team in last
match against northern territory which means in four matches he faced three
yellow. Adeel is the only boy who was suspended for a match in the tournament
so far.
Head coach Kamran Ashraf who was
a Golden runner as center forward with the Great Shahbaz Ahmad senior (Olympics
and World champion) support and scored dozens of goals in international matches
doing his first international assignment with the mature temperament during the
tournament.
Kamran Ashraf on team
performance
The team is good until now and I am
satisfied with team performance but whereas the concern of cards it’s the matter
of maturity which will improve with the passage of time, Kamran said while talking
on the topic at the end of first stage. We defeat all the teams in our pool
except NSW A which is very strong side and hopefully we will play final against
them as per my observation of the tournament. The NSW has the good pace in
which we are lacking but it’s not an excuse and definitely we will work on it
to meet the standard, Kamran expected about the second stage of the tournament.
Kamran Ashraf was very much
optimistic and said “ we and Australia has much difference in structure and
this is the main difference which generate the pace of the game”. “we will do
planning to beat them and definitely this time green team will be different in
the match against NSW”.
Head Coach was praising the
Hockey Australia and PHF ties which brought them to Australia to take part in
Australian national Under 18 championships and he is also hoping for the next
year participation.
“Pakistan Hockey especially the
junior team need to face fast pace teams to meet the modern standards and for
this purpose the present effort of PHF and HA is an absolutely fine addition
and I am hoping it will continue for the next year too”.
Tournament Director on team
behavior
Tournament Director Moore Branden
praised the passion of team and management with positive remarks and said I found
them the boys and their coaches keen to learn and excellent in cooperation to
meet the rules of the tournament.
Upcoming Matches (Schedule and photos) included by
Editor
The round two of the Australian
national hockey championship will start on 26th April after a day
break of national holiday in Australia on 25th Tuesday. Pakistan
will face its opponents (Tasmania on 26th April and West Australia
on 27th ) in Group C.
Adrees Malik is a sports Writer
and international correspondent of Current Line international
catch him on twitter @AdreesMalik
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