KARACHI: Pakistan will play its first match of the Champions Trophy against Great Britain on Dec 3, 2011 at the North Harbour Hockey Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.

A total of 24 matches would be played between Dec 3 and 11. The event will see world’s top-eight teams competing in what will be the last major event on men’s calendar before the 2012 London Olympics.

Pakistan is placed in Pool ‘A’ along with Australia, Great Britain and Spain, while Pool ‘B’ includes Germany, Netherlands, Korea and New Zealand.

The green-shirts will face Spain on Dec 4 in their second match, while in their last pool match they would take on Australia on Dec 6.

The Champions Trophy was earlier scheduled to take place in New Delhi, India. However, India are having two rival bodies — Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) — which is against the Olympic Charter and FIH Statutes.

Therefore, the FIH took away the hosting rights from India and now New Zealand will host the event.—PPI