Pakistan hockey legend Samiullah Khan has urged his team to build a compact defence and avoid conceding penalty corners in the opening quarter of its crucial FIH World Cup pool clash against arch-rival India on Wednesday.
Pakistan needs a win to keep its campaign alive, while India can progress to the next round with a draw.
“I would advise Pakistan captain to keep a compact defence and not concede any penalty corners to India in the first quarter,” Samiullah, Pakistan’s current chief selector, told PTI.
“My suggestion to the midfielders is to advance towards the goal instead of passing backwards. The forwards will have to score through diagonal and interchange passes,” he said.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist, popularly known as the ‘Flying Horse’ for his speed on the turf, believes Pakistan’s largely young side can handle the pressure of the contest.
“They recently played India in the Pro League and gave a tough fight. Each of these players has played more than 50 matches. They know how important this match is,” said Samiullah, one of the key members of Pakistan hockey’s golden generation.
Samiullah also praised India’s progress since 2016 and said Pakistan needed a similar long-term approach to rebuild its hockey structure.
“India improved its system, expanded its player pool, improved penalty corners and deep defence, and its players are now earning well. In Pakistan, our federations lack long-term vision and set small goals,” he said.
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The 74-year-old also lamented the fading intensity of the India-Pakistan rivalry.
“Earlier, India and Pakistan would play Olympic and Asian Games finals and there would be huge hype. In 1978 and 1982, 20,000 to 35,000 spectators would watch us,” he said.
Samiullah believes the two Asian hockey giants need to restore more skill and artistry to their game to recapture some of the rivalry’s old appeal.
“Europeans made hockey like football and eliminated skill. But teams like Belgium and Germany are now showing skills inside the circle. India and Pakistan also need to bring back dribbling and artistic hockey to revive the charm of old rivalry,” he said.
Asked about his most memorable India-Pakistan match, Samiullah immediately recalled Pakistan’s 7-1 victory in the 1982 Asian Games final in Delhi, where he was the team’s chief playmaker.
“We thought this record would never be broken, but Pakistan lost to India 10-2 at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games,” he said.
Published on Aug 18, 2026
