ISLAMABAD, July 27: Former hockey manager Shahnaz Sheikh said on Sunday that Pakistan could do well at next month’s Champions Trophy if the back-up players could sustain the pressure.

“If the team is handled properly, I think Pakistan can even go on to win the title,” he said.

“Sameer Hussain has returned to the side, while Mohammad Asim has been selected for the first time,” Shahnaz pointed out. “On the other hand Khalid Saleem will be another back-up player as would be Adnan Maqsood in the half-line.”

“If these players are used intelligently by the bench management, we certainly have a good chance of winning the tournament,” Shahnaz said.

Shahnaz resigned as manager in late June after a controversy involving him and Wapda players Waseem Ahmad and Sohail Abbas. In his place, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) appointed Abdul Rashid Jr weeks before the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan are bidding to win the Trophy for the first time in nine years after last winning the title in 1994 at Lahore, interestingly under Rashid.