LAHORE, July 21: Full-back Zeeshan Ashraf will lead the Pakistan hockey team in the forthcoming Beijing Olympics while Mohammad Imran will be his deputy as the Pakistan Hockey Federation announced the 16-member squad for the Games here on Monday.

Naming the squad at a crowded press conference after one-day trials at the National Hockey Stadium’s outer ground, PHF President Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said: “We have been watching the preparations of the team for the Olympics and it is improving with each passing day. I can confidently say that the team can win or will at least be on the podium in the Beijing Games.

“In the modern-day hockey, all teams are at par and any team can beat any side on a given day. I feel that our Pakistani boys have the ability to deliver at the mega event,” said Jamali. “It is our national team and we should pray for better result from them,” the president added.

Chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui, commenting on the squad selected, said: “The team has the ability to come among top four.”

However, the former Olympian, in a bid not to negate his president’s claims, quickly checked himself and added: “Once you come among top four, the doors will be open for you to go further up.”

Besides announcing the 16-member squad, nine standbys were also named for the event. Halfback Adnan Maqsood staged a comeback in the team after almost a year. He last played in the Champions Trophy 2007 held in Malaysia. Fullback Imran Warsi, who failed to get the nod of the selectors for the last Azlan Shah Cup and European tour, also got a place in the squad while Mohammad Atiq and Fareed Ahmed were shown the door.

Among the six juniors who joined the trials after representing the country at the recently-held Junior Asia Cup in India, only two — Shafqat Rasool and Zubair Ahmad — managed to get selectors’ nod for the Games. Atiq, Mohammad Irfan, Fareed, Haseem Khan and four other juniors have been included in the reserves.

Meanwhile, the PHF president said the federation will be setting up the camp at Lahore because the city had similar weather conditions to that of Beijing.

He disclosed that former PHF secretary Khalid Mahmood, who is now the senior vice president of the PHF, would also accompany the team. Khalid was replaced by Olympian Asif Bajwa last month following an order of the federal sports ministry.

“As the nominations had been dispatched to the IOC much before the Games, Khalid Mahmood will go with the team as scheduled,” the president declared while announcing the names of four other officials who are Khawaja Zakauddin (head coach), Naveed Alam (coach), Faiz-ur-Rehman (physio) and Nadeem Lodhi (video analyst).

On a query regarding the axing of Akhtar Ali, Islah said he was a good player and had represented the country in various matches but could not find a place since top 16 had to be picked for the Olympics.

Pakistan have been placed in pool ‘B’ with strong teams like Australia and the Netherlands. Other teams in the group are Great Britain, South Africa and Canada.

Halfback Mohammad Saqlain, a former captain, is likely to make his first appearance in the Olympics Games in a decade-long career. “I am quite hopeful that I will play my first Olympic Games now,” Saqlain told Dawn after he was selected on Monday in the 16-member squad

Earlier, seasoned campaigner Saqlain — a strong candidate for the Olympics squad in 2000 and 2004 — could not get his place due to various reasons.

Saqlain’s omission was a surprising one in year 2000 when PHF chief Akhtar Rasool was replaced by Arif Ali Abbasi and the temperamental player was omitted. In the next edition in 2004, Saqlain was axed for hitting one of his team-mates which angered then coach Roelant Oltmans.

Squad:

Goalkeepers Salman Akbar, Nasir Ahmad.

Fullbacks: Zeeshan Ashraf (captain), Mohammad Imran (vice-captain), Imran Warsi.

Halfbacks: Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Saqlain, Adnan Maqsood, Rana Asif.

Forwards: Waqas Sharif, Waqas Akbar, Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Abbas Hyder, Zubair, Shafqat Rasool.

Reserves: Wasi, Mohammad Atiq, Mohammad Irfan, Fareed, Saeed Shah, Haseem Khan, Shabbir Ahmad, Kamran Ahmad, Mohammad Amin.