LAHORE A 12-member Pakistan volleyball team has been announced for the second stage of 2010 World Cup, which is being held in Tehran, Iran from May 24.

Pakistan Volleyball Federation secretary Major (retd) Mohammad Afzal while announcing the team said that besides Pakistan, the other countries participating are India, Oman and host Iran. The top two teams in the group would qualify for the next stage.

He said that Pakistan will play his first match against arch-rivals India on May 25 and next one against Iran on May 26. The last match which Pakistan will play is against Oman on May 27.

Afzal said that he was hopeful that Pakistan would qualify for the next stage of the 2010 World Cup.

The team leaves on Tuesday from Islamabad and it will play three practice matches before starting the championship.

He said that ace spiker Naseer Ahmed will lead the green shirts in the championship while other spikers are Shah Rukh, Pir Bakhs Yasin, Asif Nadeem, Mohib Rasool, Zaheer Abbas, Ali Abbas, Farooq Khan, Munir Khan, Imdad Hussain, Kashif Mansoor and Muhammad Ismail Khan .

Team officials are Syed Mustafain Kazzmi (chef de mission), Ali Reza Moameri (chief coach), Hassan Mazhar Hussain (assistant coach) and Shoaib Ahmed (Manager).