Pakistani hockey officials are still awaiting the draws of an eight-nation tournament scheduled to get underway in Kuala Lumpur from January 17 to 27.
A Pakistan junior team official said that the Malaysian organisers are yet to release the draws and match schedule of the eight-nation tournament to be played at the Bukit Jalil Stadium.
 “We are anxiously awaiting the match schedule so that practice games could be lined up for our team ahead of the tournament,” team manager Jahangir Butt said here at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium where the national junior team is currently preparing for the Malaysian assignment.
Pakistan are to feature in the eight-nation event alongside Australia, Germany, Holland, Korea, India, hosts Malaysia and New Zealand. The tournament will be played on a single league basis but the Pakistani officials are still unaware of actual format. Meanwhile, national junior team’s right winger M. Adeel injured his heel during a training session here at the HCP.
However, Butt said that the injury is of a minor nature and the youngsters should be back on the field within the next couple of days. Pakistan are scheduled to fly out for Kuala Lumpur on January 12 and will return home on January 27 so that the players are able to represent their respective teams in the National Hockey Championship scheduled to get underway later this month.
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) named an 18-member junior squad after two days of trials held here at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium.
Shafqat, a talented forward is at the helm of the touring party that would be competing against some of the world’s best junior outfits in the Malaysian capital from January 17 to 27. The team was announced by chief selector Khawaja Zakauddin, who witnessed the trials along with Samiullah and team manager Jahangir Butt.
Zakauddin, a former Olympian, said that the squad was announced after getting approval from PHF president Zafarullah Khan Jamali.
The squad is scheduled to leave here for Kuala Lumpur on January 12 and is expected to play a couple of practice games before the start of the tournament.
The selectors made three changes in the team that represented Pakistan in their last international assignment - a six-nation tournament in Singapore played last October. Kashif Ali, who represented Pakistan in the Champions Trophy last December, has been selected in the squad in place of full-back Muhammad Ateeq. Fareed Ahmed has replaced Zeeshan in the half-line while forward Rizwan Ahmed has been inducted in the squad, replacing Imran.
Pakistan junior squad:
Goal-keepers: Muhammad Khurram, Imran Butt.
Full-backs: Kashif Ali, Imran Abbas, Adnan Javed
Midfielders: Muhammad Irfan, Zaheer Abbas, Aamir Shahzad, Fareed Ahmed, Khurram Shahzad.
Forwards: Adeel Hussain, Shafqat Rasool (captain), Inyatullah, Abdul Haseem Khan (vice-captain), Muhammad Zubair, Shahzad Nasir, Rizwan Ahmed, Muhammad Taufeeq.