December 5, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 19, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: Shahbaz Ahmad, the man who the hockey bosses thought could turn around Pakistan’s ailing fortunes in last month’s Champions Trophy is set to continue his comeback and will play in next year’s World Cup.

Brig. Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, manager of the Pakistan side that finished a poor fourth in the tournament in Rotterdam said that the veteran player will be in the World Cup squad.

Shahbaz, previously one of three coaches with the team, put on his boots again for the Champions’ Trophy in a bid to help Pakistan regain the crown they last won in 1994.

But his return to the national squad was termed a recipe for disaster well before the tournament got under way.

The pencil thin Shahbaz, was unable to turn back the clock in Rotterdam as Brig Khalid’s boys returned without the silverware they were so desperately seeking.

But Khalid said that the biting cold in Rotterdam proved to be a handicap for his boys some of whom had not even tasted a Murree winter.

Now with the World Cup in Malaysia in February looming hockey officials are continuing to look to Shahbaz hoping that he might help them win the World Cup as he did eight years ago in Sydney.