Pakistan return to Hockey World Cup against England after eight years

ISLAMABAD: Four-time champions Pakistan will begin their FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup campaign against England on Saturday, returning to the global showpiece after an eight-year absence.

The Pool D opener will be played at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands, with the match scheduled to start at 10pm Pakistan Standard Time.

Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup but secured their place in this year’s tournament through the qualifiers.

The Green Shirts will be hoping to revive their fortunes on the international stage after a difficult period for Pakistan hockey.

Ranked 12th in the world, Pakistan face a formidable challenge against third-ranked England in their opening match.

The national team has trained in Amsterdam ahead of the contest and also played two warm-up matches as part of its preparations.

Pakistan team manager Muhammad Awais Qarni said that the players were fit and eager to begin their campaign.

“Yes, the boys are fit and very excited,” Awais told The Express Tribune from Amstelveen on Friday.

He said that the squad was largely inexperienced, with only Ammad Shakeel Butt and captain Abu Bakar having previously featured at a World Cup.

“It’s a young team and barring Ammad Shakeel Butt and skipper Abu Bakar, the rest of the players are set to play their first World Cup,” Awais said.

Pakistan used their warm-up games against South Africa and Japan to prepare the young squad for the conditions and challenges of the tournament. They lost 3-1 to South Africa before beating Japan 2-1.

“The matches were good and the boys were exposed to different situations. It’s part of the plans,” Awais said.

The weather has also presented an additional challenge, with temperatures in the Netherlands recently rising above 34 degrees Celsius. Conditions, however, are expected to become more pleasant during the coming days.

Pakistan and England have met eight times at the World Cup, with Pakistan winning twice, England four times and two matches ending in draws. The two sides have also faced each other three times this year, with England winning all three encounters.

Pakistan will next face Wales on August 17 before taking on traditional rivals India in their final Pool D match on August 19.

India and Wales are the other teams in Pakistan’s group, making the opening-stage fixtures particularly important for the Green Shirts.

The 2026 World Cup is being jointly hosted by Amstelveen and Wavre, Belgium, from August 15 to 30.

The tournament features a new crossover-pool format, with teams progressing to Pools E to H after the opening stage rather than moving directly into traditional quarter-finals.

Pakistan remain one of the most successful teams in World Cup history, having won the title a record four times in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

Germany enter the tournament as defending champions, while Australia, the Netherlands and Germany have each won the World Cup three times.

With a young squad making its return to the global stage, Pakistan will look to their more experienced players to provide composure as they begin what promises to be a demanding World Cup campaign.