LAHORE, June 7: Midfielder Shanmugam Venkatesh will lead India against Pakistan in the three-match football series starting from June 12. A Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) spokesman announced the names of the Indian team on Tuesday.

Venkatesh had been chosen as the Player of the Year 2004 by the AIFF. He also led the India in the Afro-Asian Games in India in 2003 in which his team claimed a silver medal after losing to Uzbekistan 1-0 in the final.

India are scheduled to arrive on June 10 to play the first match in Quetta (June 12), second in Peshawer (June 16) and third in Lahore (June 18).

Team:

Goalkeepers: VP Satish Kumar, Sangram Mukerjee, Sandip Nandy.

Defenders: Mahesh Gawli, Manju Nanjangud Shivananju, Sukumar Singh, Syed Rahim Nabi, Habibur Rehman, Philip Gomes, Naduparambil Pappachan Pradeep.

Midfielders: Shanmugam Venkatesh, Jatin Singh Bisht, Clifford Miranda, Bibiano Fernandes , Climax Lawrence, Jules Alberto Dias, Sukhwinder Singh.

Strikers: Abhishek Yadav, Sunil Chetri, MA Abdul Hakkim, Surajit Bose.