March 24, 2006	Friday	Safar 23, 1427

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MELBOURNE, March 23: Pakistan captain Mohammad Saqlain on Thursday apologised to India after his team forced their arch-rivals to bow out from the Commonwealth Games men’s field hockey. “Our defence was a bit weak, we can only feel sorry for India,” Saqlain said on Thursday day after Pakistan snatched a dramatic 6-5 win over Malaysia in the last league match.

The thrilling encounter lifted both Pakistan and Malaysia into the semifinals and sent India packing from the 10-nation competition.

India needed Pakistan or Malaysia to win by a two-goal margin and also prevent the loser from scoring more than three goals.

Instead, Malaysia fought back after being 1-4 down in the first 20 minutes and then 2-5 early in the second half to make it 5-5 before Rehan Butt scored Pakistan’s winner nine minutes before the final whistle.

Pakistan topped group B with 10 points while Malaysia and India finished with seven points each and also had the same goal difference of plus-8.

Malaysia squeaked through to the semifinals by scoring 16 goals against India’s 14 — making captain Kuhan Shanmuganathan’s four-goal effort on Wednesday even more crucial.

Pakistan take on England and Malaysia clash with Olympic champions Australia in Friday’s semifinals.

India, meanwhile, may soon be looking for a new coach after a “frustrated” Rajinder Singh indicated he was rethinking his future with the team.

“I am very frustrated by the way the team has played,” said Rajinder, whose term as coach stretches till the World Cup in Germany in September.—AFP