MANCHESTER, July 27: Pakistan rode once again on the penalty corner expertise of Sohail Abbas to crush hosts England 3-0 in a key pool B match of the Commonwealth Games field hockey here on Saturday.

The sturdy defender found the net with three of his team’s four penalty corners to record a hat trick in his team’s opening match.

The result is almost certain to make Pakistan pool champions, leaving England to fight in play-offs for the semifinals where their likely opponents will be defending champions Australia.

Abbas, one of the most dreaded penalty corner marksmen in the game, was the joint top-scorer with Jorge Lombi of Argentina at the World Cup in Malaysia in March with 10 goals.

His terrific strike rate allowed Pakistan to continue with the strategy they have mastered over the years — force penalty corners inside the rivals’ circle and leave the rest to Abbas.

England conceded their first two penalty corners in the 16th and 20th minutes and both times Abbas scooped high past English goalkeeper Simon Mason.

Abbas missed his team’s third corner, the first of the second-half, but found the target soon after with the fourth to fashion Pakistan’s remarkably easy win.

Former international Tahir Zaman, Pakistan’s new coach, brushed aside suggestions his was a one-man team.—AFP