Amstelveen: The hockey match between India and Pakistan is not just a match but is considered a battle of prestige for both the countries. Pakistan captain Abu Bakar Mahmood is confident that his team can break the long-running losing streak against India in the FIH World Cup match to be held on August 19. He says that the world ranking position will not matter in this match, but who performs better on the day of the match will decide the victory.
India has defeated Wales 3-1 in their opening match of the World Cup, while Pakistan has lost 1-4 at the hands of England.
'Not ranking, that day's performance is important'
Abu Bakar said in a special conversation that he has no hesitation in accepting that the Indian team is far ahead of Pakistan in the world rankings. But ranking has no importance in India-Pakistan match. According to him, the team whose performance is better on the match day will win.
Pakistan last defeated India 4-3 during the Champions Trophy in London in June 2016. After this, India recently defeated Pakistan 4-3 and 7-1 in the London stage of the FIH Pro League.
Praise for India's continuous Olympic success
The Pakistani captain also praised the achievements of the Indian hockey team. He said that India is the only team in Asia which has won medals in two consecutive Olympics and this is a good thing for Asian hockey. However, he says that Pakistan has also come fully prepared for the World Cup.
Pakistan is returning to the World Cup after almost eight years. Its performance in the FIH Pro League before the World Cup was disappointing and the team finished ninth after losing all the matches.
The goal was to learn, not title in Pro League
Abu Bakar said that Pakistan's main objective in the Pro League was not to win the title, but to learn by playing against the world's top teams. He believes that the World Cup will show how much the team has learned during that period.
Before the start of the Pro League, Pakistan was ranked 14th in the world rankings and is now at 12th. The team played many matches against top teams and hopes to use this experience in the World Cup.
Positive impact of change in coaching staff on the team
Pakistan's Dutch coach Herman Kruse returned home just before the team left for the World Cup. After this, the responsibility was given to goalkeeping coach Bob Yohan Veldoff.
According to Abu Bakar, Adnan Zakir, Bob and the support staff have worked hard in the last one month. This has had a positive impact on the team and the results are already visible.
He said that the team's aim is to perform better every day and surprise people. Pakistan's main target is Asian Games, but team in World Cup last eight Will try to make a place in.
This World Cup is special for the captain
Abu Bakar, 28, idolises legendary drag flicker Sohail Abbas. He said that the World Cup and Olympics are the biggest tournaments of hockey and playing in the World Cup after eight years is a big achievement for Pakistan.
Abu Bakar was just 19 years old at the 2018 World Cup and was the youngest player in the team. He now wants to share the experience gained from that tournament with the young players of the team.
Captain trusts young players
Abu Bakar and former captain Ammad Butt are the only two players in the current Pakistan team who have experience of playing the 2018 World Cup. Despite this, the captain believes that there is no lack of experience in the team.
According to him, the core group of the team has remained almost the same for the last two-three years. Four-five players are soon going to complete 100 international matches. Two players will play the World Cup for the first time, but seeing their talent the foreign coaches have selected them in the team.
Aim to save Pakistan's legacy of four World Cup titles
Pakistan has been the most successful team in World Cup history, winning four titles. Abu Bakar said that the team wants to carry forward this legacy and wants this record to remain with Pakistan only.
The match against India on August 19 will be a big test for Pakistan towards this goal. Although India has taken the lead in recent matches, the Pakistani captain is confident that the performance on the field that day will decide the final picture.