AUCKLAND, Aug 8: New Zealand hockey coach Kevin Towns believes Pakistan is still a force to reckon with in international hockey despite their ordinary faring in the recently concluded Champions Trophy in Terrassa, Spain.

“Pakistan were certainly in a mess in Terrassa but I'm not sure that's a positive for us. They will still be a dangerous team. You won't be able to give penalty corners away with their corner combination.”

Towns, for one, is taking little comfort from Pakistan changing its coach just four weeks from start of the World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany.

“Changing the coach might mean the players will knuckle down or it could mean they will be in more disarray. But chances are the new coach could get them playing well.”

Pakistan has been placed in the same pool as New Zealand at the World Cup.

Towns, who returned last week from Champions Trophy, said that New Zealand had to target winning its first three games in World Cup — against Argentina, Pakistan and Germany.

“If we play well we could get nine points from those three games. I didn't see anything in Spain to suggest that Argentina and Pakistan have made any progress since I'd last seen them. Japan we won't know about until we get to Germany.”

“Argentina looked out of their depth on attack but were strong on defence. They have had a few changes and their drag flick man (Jorge Lombi) wasn't there.”—Agencies