- Green shirts will now face New Zealand
MELBOURNE: Team Pakistan failed to break its losing streak in the four-nation International Festival of Hockey, as it faced one more defeat, this time against Japan by 3-1, a private TV channel reported on Thursday.
Prior to the match, Pakistan were ripped apart by the hosts Australia in their first match of the International Festival of Hockey at Melbourne’s State Netball Hockey Centre. The record four-time World Champions’ 1-9 defeat is their worst ever in international hockey.
Holland had defeated Pakistan 9-2 at the 2006 Champions Trophy in Terrassa, Spain. Pakistan will now play its next match against New Zealand. Muhammad Irfan Sr is leading the team while Umar Bhutta is his deputy.
The team includes Amjad Ali, Irfan, Abubakr Mahmood, Atif Mushtaq, Hassan Anwar, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Tasawwar Abbas, Rizwan Jr, Arslan Qadir, Shajeeh Ahmed, Shan Irshad, Umar Bhutta, Atiq Arshad, Ajaz Ahmed, Bilal Qadir and Khizer Akhtar.