Pakistan hockey team player (File photo)
Pakistan may have endured a difficult run against India in recent years, but captain Abu Bakar Mahmood believes the numbers will count for little when the arch-rivals meet at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup on August 19. With India ranked higher and coming off a 3-1 win over Wales, while Pakistan suffered a 1-4 defeat to England, Mahmood insists the rivalry will be decided by performance on the day. Pakistan’s last victory over India came in June 2016, when they won 4-3 in the Champions Trophy in London. India have since maintained the upper hand and recently defeated Pakistan 4-3 and 7-1 in the London leg of the FIH Pro League.
“India is the only Asian team to have won medals in two consecutive Olympics.
It will only be decided on the day of the match which team is playing well and will win,” Mahmood told PTI ahead of the marquee clash. This is a good thing for Asian hockey, and we wish them all the best for the World Cup, but we have also come fully prepared this time,” he said. We played against the world’s top teams in the Pro League and learned a lot,” he said.
“I have no hesitation in accepting that the Indian team is much better than us in rankings, but in the India-Pakistan match, rankings don’t matter. The performance on that day is important…
“Before the Pro League, we were ranked 14th in the world, and now we’re 12th.
“We want to continue that legacy so that Pakistan retains this record.
Our goal is the Asian Games, but we would like to reach the last eight in the World Cup,” he said. Every player wants to see their team at the top,” Mahmood said. “Coach Adnan Zakir, Bob, and the support staff have worked very hard over the past month. This has had a positive impact on the team, and the results are showing. We have to surprise and perform well every day. Pakistan, four-time World Cup champions, are also determined to protect their historic status in the tournament.