GUANGZHOU, Nov 19: A better looking Pakistan hockey squad is all set for Saturday’s clash against arch-rivals India after moving towards podium with 8-2 win over Japan in their second match on Thursday.

The green-shirts had bulldozed Hong Kong 12-0 in their opening match on Wednesday.

Pakistans forward-line displayed a controlled game against Japan at the Aoti Field Hockey trough.

The forward-line comprising a combination of young and old players — Rehan Butt, Haseem Khan, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Fareed and Shakeel Abbasi — engineered better connecting tactics besides two goals from Shoail Abbas.

Japan’s Kenji Kitazato scored the first goal within four minutes of the first half, but Pakistan’s emerging player Fareed Ahmed struck an equaliser on a field attempt.

Pakistan’s coach Michael Van De Heuvel made several changes during the first half what appeared to be a check over squad’s strengths and weaknesses.

The greens-shirts were given a penalty-corner in the 18th minute with Sohail Abbas, one of the world’s best drag-flickers, striking a goal while Mohammad Rizwan scored a field goal with Pakistan making it 3-1 till half time.

The Chinese crowd was also a helpful hand, supporting Pakistan on every move engineered by forward-line towards the Japanese goal.

Pakistan players remained most of the time in Japan’s half in the second half.

Pakistan got the second penalty-corner in the 51st minute.

Sohail Abbas again scored a goal making it 4-1 while Mohammad Waqas scored a field goal.

Pakistan was also awarded a penalty-stroke against Japan with Mohammad Imran netting a penalty-corner.

Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Riawan and Mohammad Zubair also scored goals for Pakistan taking the final score to 8-2.

Pakistan players are now claiming to win against India.

“It is a team game and hopefully things will go well,” Pakistan’s assistant coach Khawaja Junaid told Dawn.

“We will play respectable hockey against India,” said Sohail, 35, when asked that Pakistan was defeated by India at World Cup and Commonwealth Games.“We will play our game. I know the Indian squad is far better and even quicker than us,” he added.

Pakistan’s squad is under immense pressure to break the losing jinx as the team could not win any major title since the 1994 World Cup and had won its last Asian Games title in 1990.

“I have been playing hockey for almost 14 years and could not win a major title so all I want is a medal,” said Sohail. Two top teams from both the pools will move to the semi-finals.

Results:

Played on Friday: Men’s: Group ‘A’: Malaysia 12     Oman 2 South Korea 3     China 1 Women’s round-robin: India 13     Thailand 0 Malaysia 4     Kazakhstan 2 China 3     Japan 1 Played on Thursday: Men’s: Group ‘A’: Oman 2     Singapore 1 South Korea 2     Malaysia 2 Group ‘B’: Bangladesh 7     Hong Kong 3 Pakistan 8     Japan 2 Played on Wednesday: Men’s: Group ‘B’: India 9     Bangladesh 0 Pakistan 12     Hong Kong 0 Women’s round-robin: South Korea 1     India 0 Kazakhstan 3     Thailand 0 China 6     Malaysia 0