September 03, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 9, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 2: Pakistan hockey team will play warm-up matches against South Korea and England before the Hockey World Cup which gets underway at Monchengladbach, Germany on September 7.

“If these matches materialise, it will be good preparation for the team before the World Cup”, said Pakistan chief coach, former Olympian Shahnaz Shaikh.

Pakistan have been placed with Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Argentina and Australia in their preliminary round pool while England and South Korea are in the other pool which also features Germany, Holland and India.

Two teams each from these preliminary round pools will qualify for the knockout stage of the semi-finals.

Pakistan played a four-nation Hamburg Masters Tournament last week before landing at Monchengladbach on Friday for the World Cup.

They beat Germany in the opening match of the single league competition at Hamburg. The greenshirts, however, then faded out to lose to Holland (4-6) and Spain (2-6).

“One should not read much into those two defeats at Hamburg,” said Shahnaz.

“We tried different combinations and rested key players for the games,” he said.

Former superstar Shahnaz said he was hopeful that Pakistan hockey team will overcome the follies of last month's Champions Trophy and will take up the challenge of World Cup with a new resolve.

“I have tried to raise the players' spirits and their game as well with emphasis on attack,” said Shahnaz.

“We have closely monitored the videos of Champions Trophy and have tried to remove the follies committed in that tournament.”—APP