May 17, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1428

KARACHI, May 16: Despite experiencing his team's worst ever effort in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, Pakistan captain Rehan Butt said on Wednesday that he was not disappointed with the performance and believed the squad has returned with some positives from Ipoh, Malaysia.

The team finished a poor sixth in the event.

The Pakistanis, who were among top contenders for the title before the start of the event, only succeeded in recording victories against minnows China and Canada. The visitors were humiliated by Argentina 4-2 in the fifth-sixth position play-off.

“Though we had an ordinary tournament, I would not term my team's performance as totally unsatisfactory since some of the youngsters who got a chance proved their worth,” Rehan told reporters here at the Karachi Airport after the team's arrival.

The seasoned striker said except in the game against South Korea, the team played some competitive hockey in the tournament. To a query regarding the possible return of black-listed senior players like Sohail Abbas, Saqlain and others, Rehan said he was not in a position to comment on the issue. — APP