Pak hockey skipper Muhammad Imran feels team would benefit from international tour

Pakistan hockey team captain Muhammad Imran feels that an international tour would improve the nations chances of defending their Asian Games title.

Imran said that due to the lack of international sport in Pakistan, most of the probables for the nation's hockey team are not familiar with the Asian teams so the squad should be given an international tour.

According to The Dawn, Imran, who led Pakistan to the Asian Champions Trophy in 2011, said that they have got a mixture of young and experienced players at the training camp at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium where 35 probables had been called up for team selection.

The skipper added that some newcomers have the potential, but they have very little or no experience of international matches.

However, Imran said that after watching the performance of the players at the training camp, he is feeling optimistic that Pakistan can defend the Asian Games title, which they won four years ago in Guangzhou.

Meanwhile, former hockey captain Shakeel Abbasi echoed Imran's views saying that he does not feel that Pakistan cannot defend their title, adding that they have committed players, but it is a fact that they have been provided with very few chances of playing other Asian teams like India, Japan and South Korea.

Pakistan will defend the Asian Games title this year in Incheon starting from September 19, the report added.