KARACHI, Jan 8: Heavyweights Wapda, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and PTCL, after being shocked in pool matches, go into action cautiously against relatively weaker sides on Sunday in national hockey championship quarterfinals.
Title-holders Wapda are expected to have tough game against Habib Bank Limited (HBL) who have few internationals in Haider Hussain, Kashif Jawwad, Mohammad Khalid, Asad Qureshi and Sameer Hussain.
The only negative aspect in tomorrow's game against HBL will be penalty corner striker Sohail Abbas's absence from Wapda's line-up after the full-back joined Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).
Wapda had suffered hiccups at initials stages when they were held 1-1 by PAF, barely managed a 2-1 victory over minnows Steel Mills in the pool games. But as mercurial striker Rehan Butt has been at his best with two hat tricks in the tournament, Wapda might be posing real threat to the bankers who had close shaves in pool matches.
HBL were held by Pakistan Army 3-3 before managing a close 2-1 win over underdogs PTV as the bankers were always saved by late strikes.
Like Wapda, NBP, having at least eight current or former Pakistan players, also had mixed fortunes during pool ties, losing 3-4 to Army followed by a 2-0 triumph over rank outsiders KESC.
Having Imran Warsi, Zeeshan Ashraf, Adnan Maqsood, Akhtar Ali, Asim Khan, Tariq Aziz, Adnan Zakir and discarded former captain Mohammad Nadeem, NBP will meet PIA who too faced turbulence in a pool match, losing 1-2 to Pakistan Navy.
However, the bankers should emerge easy victors against the national carrier since most of the PIA players are inexperienced apart from aging discarded goalkeeper Ahmad Alam, Kamran Ashraf, Shafqat Malik, Ali Raza and Mohammad Usman. Only experience could give PIA a win since it will be hard for them to stand against a young NBP attack.
With Pakistan goalkeeper Salman Akbar, striker Shakeel Abbasi, midfielder Ghazanfar Ali and full-back Tariq Imran in their ranks, PTCL face minnows Steel Mills who amazingly reached last eight after shock 4-3, 2-1 and 4-3 victories over SSGC, Wapda, and Police and a 0-0 draw with PAF.
In what could be an interesting clash, unbeaten Army will take on Allied Bank Limited (ABL) in the last quarterfinal of the day.
The bankers, who were lucky to make it to the quarterfinals after they finished at second place in pool 'B' having better goal average against Navy, are expected to be given a testing time by robust soldiers who have maintained an unbeaten record.
Although ABL had only one loss, 1-4 against PIA, Army might send them home despite facing experienced but aging Pakistan centre-half Mohammad Saqlain and out of favour Mohammad Sarwar.
Army's victory march started with a facile 4-1 victory over KESC, followed by 4-2 win against Pakistan Ordnance Factroies and 3-1, 4-3 triumphs at Chinese provincial side Gansu and NBP.
Since the tournament has seen quite a few upsets, it will not be surprising if ABL lose against Army or even PTCL are shocked by Steel Mills, although on paper it does not seem to be a possibility.
Sunday's fixtures (quarterfinals):
Steel Mills v PTCL at 9.00am; HBL v Wapda at 11.00am; PIA v NBP at 1.30; ABL v Army at 3.30pm.
