Pakistan Selector Makes Big India Claim Ahead Of Hockey WC: 'Can Hold Them To A Draw'
News sports hockey Pakistan Selector Makes Big India Claim Ahead Of Hockey WC: 'Can Hold Them To A Draw' Pakistan Selector Makes Big India Claim
News sports hockey Pakistan Selector Makes Big India Claim Ahead Of Hockey WC: 'Can Hold Them To A Draw' Pakistan Selector Makes Big India Claim Ahead Of Hockey WC: 'Can Hold Them To A Draw' Published By, Last Updated: August 06, 2026, 18:50 IST Pakistan hockey targets draw with India, victory over Wales at FIH World Cup. Chief selector Samiullah Khan eyes tough England game. Rapid Read Find how to watch India vs Pakistan live. (AFP) Pakistan men’s hockey team’s chief selector Samiullah Khan has said that his team will target to hold arch-rivals India to a draw and beat Wales, while accepting that England is the toughest team in their group at the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup and that game would be a difficult one.
India and Pakistan face off in a crucial group stage clash on August 19 and a win for either of them would be important in determining their run at the World Cup. Pakistan on Wednesday named a 20-member team for the World Cup, marking the national team’s return to the tournament after an eight-year absence. “Look, realistically the key is holding India at least to a draw and we have the capacity to beat Wales, but our toughest opponent is England, who are ranked high while we are placed 12th right now in the FIH rankings," Samiullah said. The 1976 Olympics bronze medallist added that team director and chief coach Herman Kruis will join the team in the Netherlands, where he is on a pre-tournament assignment.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has appointed two foreign coaches as well, Bob Johan Veldhof and Christopher Bowen, to assist Kruis during the World Cup. As per Samiullah, the team was selected by the national selectors and the newly appointed foreign coaching staff. India has been drawn alongside Pakistan in Pool D of the World Cup, which also features England and Wales. Samiullah said that he was optimistic Pakistan could at least hold India to a draw. Pakistan will start their World Cup campaign against England in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, on Saturday, August 15. Samiullah said that Pakistan’s confidence had been boosted by its performances against South Korea in the ongoing home series, where the team has already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match Test series.
News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: August 06, 2026, 18:47 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
The BriefWire