ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: The Pakistan hockey team wound up the second and final phase of its training on Monday and was preparing to leave for Germany on Tuesday morning. After intensive training at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Ground here, the team management assured of a good performance in the Hamburg Masters where a four-nation event is to take place followed by the eight-team Rabo Bank Trophy in Amstelveen.

Rana Mujhaid, the side’s assistant coach said that the boys were in great shape for what he said were going to be tough tournaments.

“Everyone is fully fit and raring to go,” he told Dawn.

On show in Hamburg will be hosts Germany, Holland and Australia besides Pakistan while the tournament in Amstelveen will have the same four teams plus India, Korea, Spain and Argentina. Both events are to be played this month.

Rana said that Muhammad Imran, Imran Warsi and newcomer Muhammad Ehsanullah will be the ones who will be taking short corners during the European tour and whosoever emerged as the top striker will become a regular.

“All three have been tried in the camp and will be tested during these tournaments following which we will have a clear picture.”

In the absence of short corner specialist Sohail Abbas who has quit international hockey, Pakistan are experimenting with whatever talent they have in this department.

The Pakistani officials will be using the tournaments to try out all their strategies with an eye on this December’s Champions Trophy in India and next year’s World Cup in Germany.

The team:

Goalkeepers: Salman Akbar and Nasir Mahmood

Fullbacks: Zeeshan Ashraf, Muhammad Imran, Imran Warsi, Muhammad Ehsanullah.

Halfbacks: Imran Khan, Muhammad Saqlain (Captain), Dilawar Hussain, Adnan Maqsood, Ghazanfar Ali.

Forwards: Rehan Butt, Mudassir Ali, Shakeel Abbasi, Tariq Aziz, Shabbir Hussain, Akhtar Ali, Adnan Zakir, Kashif Yaqub. Officials: Asif Bajwa (chief coach), Rana Mujhaid (assistant coach), Saeed Khan (manager).