Asian Champions Trophy: We are aware of India’s weak areas, says Pakistan hockey head coach

Pakistan head coach Muhammad Saqlain stated that his side is aware of India’s weak points and must play smart hockey against the home team ahead of a potentially high-voltage clash against the arch-rivals in the Asian Champions Trophy on Monday. India and Pakistan face each other in their last round-robin league match on Wednesday.

“Harmanpreet Singh and other centre forwards are some of the best players in the world. We are aware of their weakness as well, but we have to be smart against them,” Saqlain told PTI on Monday.

Pakistan defeated China 2-1 on Monday to remain in contention for a semifinal berth. Saqlain expressed confidence that his team will make it to the final four.

“Finally, we have got the three crucial points. We created quite some chances, especially towards the initial stages of the meeting. If we keep going like this, we can surely make it to the semifinals with this young team,” he said of the win against China.

When asked how his players will handle pressure against their arch-rivals, especially with the match taking place in India, Saqlain said they will be taught how to get things done.

“We have a day off, so we can focus three hours before the match. The way they played their last game (vs Malaysia) is a warning sign for everyone. Although we have a young side, they are capable of handling the pressure.

“We will need to teach our young lads (about handling the crowd pressure) who are playing here for the first time. If you can close your ears and focus on the game, we surely can play good hockey. Also, if both the teams play good hockey, it would be a great achievement for Asian hockey,” he said.

Captain Umar Bhutta was dissatisfied with his team’s finishing ability against China. He stated that finishing would be the most important aspect of the game if Pakistan were to defeat the hosts.

“Finishing is still an area where we can improve. But, it was a consecutive game for us as well as China, so it was hard for both of us. However, our boys appeared to be slightly better than them. Overall, we played better hockey and earned the crucial three points,” he said.

“The challenge would be to get a good finish (vs India). It’s just another contest in this tournament. What all the boys need to do is to execute our plans perfectly, while the coaches are already working on it.”

In response to Saqlain’s comments about dealing with pressure, Bhutta stated that instead of viewing the Indian crowd as a source of stress, he believes that enjoying the atmosphere will benefit his team more.

“I don’t consider having Indian crowd as a pressure. It’s more about enjoying it. When the crowd roars during a contest, even if it is for the opponent, it’s a different feeling altogether. Also, the pyrotechnics after a goal makes things even cooler. So, we will be enjoying it,” he signed off.