AFZAL JAVED / DNA

ISLAMABAD, APR 28: Ammad Shakeel Butt will lead the 18-member Pakistan squad in the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, set to be held in Malaysia from May 4.

The squad was announced on Sunday by the head coach Roelant Oltmans who has been given all the powers to decide on the selection of the Pakistan national squad till the time the government decides on the fate of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

Taking immediate measures by Rana Mashhood, Prime Minister Advisor on Youth Affairs who empowered Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans to select the final travelling squad in coordination with the Deputy Director General Pakistan Sports Board Shahid ul Islam and representative of Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Manzoor ul Hassan have done their job according to given mandate.

Around 44 players including ten from the Karachi camp also attended trials which were conducted into different sessions at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium Islamabad.

Ammad Shakeel Butt has been appointed as the captain of the national hockey team along with Abu Bakar will assist Ammad as vice-captain while seven reserve players were also included in the Pakistan squad.

Other players include Abdullah, Muneebur Rehman, Osama Bashir, Ehtsham, M Abdullah, Sufyan, Salman Razzak, Arshad Liaquat, Moin Shakeel, Zakaria Hayat, Murtaza Yaqoob, Ghazanfar Ali, Abdul Rehman Senior, Hunain Shahid, Rana Waheed and Ijaz Ahmed.

Speaking to the media, Roelant Oltmans said that he tried to prepare the best team by looking at the current talent as our target is the Nations Hockey Cup, adding that after the Azlan Shah cup, the team for the Nations Cup can be changed.

He said that we are not worried about the results of the Azlan Shah Cup, we have to prepare a better team, if the players show good results, then we can win the event

President Pakistan Hockey Federation Tariq Hussain Bugti  and Secretary General PHF Rana Mujahid along with a number of former international hockey players also witnessed the final trials session.