Asif Bajwa gets sweeping power, 32 probables for Azlan

Lahore, May 12 (UNI) Taking a cue from European soccer teams, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has given coach Asif Bajwa sweeping power, doing away with the practice of a separate team manager, till the World Cup.

PHF has also named a list of 32 probables to attend the training camp for next month's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Kuala Lumpur and plans to pick its World Cup team from this pool.

In a statement here, PHF said its President Tariq Kirmani has decided that the coach will double up as manager of the side and Bajwa will have the supreme authority over the squad.

Bajwa will be assisted by Rana Zaheer while for the specialised training of the goalkeepers, former custodian Shahid Ali Khan has been included in the team management.

Faiz-ur-Rehman will be the Physiotherapist with the team, the release added.

PHF is planning with an eye on the World Cup in Monchengladbach in September and Azlan Shah is one of the three tournaments -- apart from Champions Trophy and Hamburg Tournament-- which will be used for the team's build-up for the World Cup.

Chief coach Asiaf Bajwa told ''The news'' ''It is going to be an important phase of the World Cup preparations. We have to try out various combinations and also have to rectify some flaws during the camp before the Azlan Shah Cup.'' Bajwa made it clear that while the young plyers might get occasional look-in, he would be banking on the wald war horses in the tournament scheduled from June 18 to 25.

''We might go for some changes in the forward-line as well as in the defence but there is more likelihood of a previously tested player making a comeback than a complete newcomer getting a place in the team,'' he said.

Probables: Salman Akbar, Ghazanfar Ali, Sajjad Anwar, Shakeel Abbasi, Muhammad Zubair, Waqas Akbar, Nasir Ahmed, Yasir Islam, Dilawar Hussain, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Ali, Javaid, Zeeshan Ashraf, Imran Warsi, Adnan Maqsood, Adnan Zakir, Akhtar Ali, Khalid, Asim Khan, Naeem Akbar, Ihsan Ullah, Mustansar Sheikh, Rehan Butt, Waqas Sharif, Mudassar Ali Khan, Muhammad Shabbir, Zakir Ullah, Imran Khan Yousafzai, Muhammad Saqlain, Kashif Yaqoob, Shabbir Khan and Muhammad Sami.

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