NATIONAL
Pakistan overcome Canada:
Pakistan scored a brace within a minute at the outset of the second session to earn a hard fought 3-1 win against Canada, here in the Beijing Olympics 2008 hockey competition at the Olympic Green Hockey Stadium on 13th Aug. Nothing went right for Pakistan in the first half. If it was a story of missed chances, the end of the first session was even disastrous. After Canada and Pakistan appeared destined to enter halftime deadlocked in a scoreless draw, Canada scored on a penalty corner from Bindi Kullar to take a 1-0 lead. The Pakistan forwards responded well and banged home two goals within seconds in the 39th minute to take the initiative back from Canada. It was Mohammad Imran who scooped the ball in from a penalty corner drag flick to pull back the equaliser. The players had hardly settled down on their positions when a through pass from centre-half Mohammad Saqlain found Shafqat Rasool right at the top of striking circle to make it 2-1. Mohammad Waqas Sharif gave Pakistan a two goal cushion almost eighteen minutes later and the score stayed that way till the end. Waqas’s goal also came from a top of the dee effort. “Again we missed too many chances in the first half. Victory was all we required here and we got that with ease at the end,” Pakistan head coach Zakauddin said. The coach said he knew it was just a matter of time to start scoring. “I know the opening goal would open more scoring opportunities and that was exactly what happened,” he said. The first half projected a sorry state of affairs with the Pakistan forwards failing to break the ice even when they got the opportunity inside Canada’s striking circle. Shakeel Abbasi, Mohammad Zubair, Waqas Akbar and Waqas Sharif all tried their luck at the goal but either the angle was too narrow or the try was too feeble to dodge the keeper. The first half was a story of missed chances, poor conversion and ill planning. In an effort to take an early lead, the Pakistan forwards’ game was marred with individual play and unnecessary long passes. “We played with a different strategy today. Instead of attacking too much in the early half, we tried to control the game and allowed them to move into our defence. “That was why we got too many opportunities. That was another matter that we could not score a goal in the first half,” coach Naveed Alam said. Pakistan earned their only first half penalty corner in the very second minute of play, courtesy to a left flank move. From there on the game was confined to the Canadian defence. Rehan Butt, who played the entire 70 minutes of play against Great Britain, was finally rested midway through the first half.
Jamalli wants home support at grounds:
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president and the former Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Jamali, has stressed upon the Pakistan Embassy families in Beijing to come to the ground and cheer their teams as other do. He was addressing the Independence Day function at the Pakistan Embassy on 14th Aug. morning. “Buy your tickets and come to the grounds. Pakistan players especially the hockey team is missing the support of the embassy families living here,” he said while addressing almost two hundred people gathered here to celebrate the Independence Day. “Wherever the team goes, we get support but here no one has come to the ground to watch the greenshirts in action. They need your prayers and support,” he said. Pakistan Ambassador in China Salman Bashir, who would soon be taking over the foreign secretary’s duties in Pakistan, prayed for the country and said it required the backing and support of all. The Independence Day celebrations were attended among others by the Sports Minister Najamuddin, Paki-stan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen (rtd) Arif Hassan, secretary sports Ashraf Khan, journalists having come here to cover the Olympics and a few Pakistanis living here in Beijing.
PCB drop idea of hosting New Zealand:
A planned three match one-day series by New Zealand in Pakistan has been scrapped, the Pakistan Cricket Board said. New Zealand had initially given their consent to playing One-day Internationals in Faisalabad and Multan from August 24 in preparation for the Champions Trophy. But they later expressed doubts over the security situation in Pakistan.
Ticket prices to be slashed for Trophy:
Pakistan are planning to slash the prices of tickets for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy after experiencing near empty stands for Asia Cup Games earlier this summer when the ticket rates were high. Shafqat Naghmi, Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chief Operating Officer, said that the tickets for Champions Trophy matches would cost almost 30 to 40 percent less than the Asia Cup. Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup earlier this summer featuring India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Hong Kong. Tickets prices were raised substantially and a seat for the Pakistan-India match in a decent enclosure came for the price of around Rs 3000.
None of the Asia Cup matches were played in front of a packed crowd in Karachi and Lahore and even important games like Pakistan’s clashes against India and Sri Lanka failed to draw the crowd. According to experts, one of the reasons behind the surprisingly low interest in those games was the high cost of tickets. Naghmi said that for the Champions Trophy which is to be played in Karachi and Lahore from September 12-28 the tickets would be more affordable. “We want to ensure that all Champions Trophy matches attract sizeable crowds and would take all possible measures for it. We will consult with the ICC and try lowering the ticket prices,” he said. The PCB and the ICC — the event’s organisers — face a big challenge because the entire eight-nation tournament would be played during the fasting month of Ramadan. Normally, international cricket is not played during that part of the year in Pakistan and it remains to be seen whether spectators would fill in the stadium during the tournament. To facilitate the spectators, it has been decided to time the matches in such a way that the innings break comes at Iftar time when one breaks his fast (at dusk). Efforts are also being made to provide for free Iftar meals for spectators but implementing such an idea would cost the PCB around 15 million rupees.
Players miss Indepdendence Day celebrations:
The Pakistan hockey team missed the Independence Day celebrations on 14th and even the coach, manager and other officials accompanying the team decided to stay away from the celebrations. Pakistan is to play against Australia in an important match on 15th and the players according to other accompanying officials deliberately stayed away from the Independence Day function. “They wanted rest ahead of the important match and there were also a team meeting on 14th,” a contingent official told the media. The Pakistan hockey team here is accompanied by two managers: head coach Zakauddin and the former Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Khalid Mahmood. “Secondly, I do not think the players or any other team officials have been invited to the Independence day function here,” the official said.
