Now for Pakistan...

By Ajitpal Singh
ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my

THE 8th AirAsia Men's Asia Cup is a different ball game and the Malaysian boys should not take the 3-2 win over Pakistan in last month's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup as a yardstick in their semi-final match against the four-time World Champions in Kuantan today.
Pakistan, who recalled for ex-internationals including penalty corner specialists Sohail Abbas, are a much stronger side in this tournament.
Sohail, a defender, goalkeeper Salman Akbar, midfielder Waseem Ahmeed and forward Rehan Butt are the four veteran racalled for the Asia Cup and they have so far been instrumental for Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
The four have added more depth to the Pakistan game and they are the players the Malaysians should keep a close watch today.
Furthermore, the confidence among the other Pakistan players, including their six juniors, is high after having beaten defending champions India 3-2 in the group stage.
Sohail, though a bit rusty, is still a dangerous player and Malaysia must avoid giving away unnecessary penalty corners to Pakistan.
The 32-year-old player, who has scored a world record of 275 goals in 272 matches, will be in confident mood in adding more goals to his tally after having scored the winner against India.
Sohail's presence in the match will likely prompt the Malaysians to cut off their opponents' attacks outside the semicircle to avoid the risk of giving away penalty corners but this will leave holes at the back where Rehan will be there to do the damage.
Malaysia, though impressive in the group stage, have been guilty of lapsing during matches. This was evident when they drew 1-1 with South Korea in their opening match. The Malaysians were tactically sound in the first half and took a deserving 1-0 lead but the Koreans, known for their fitness, ran ring around them in the second to force a 1-1 draw.
Against Japan on Tuesday, the Malaysians were in total control but could have avoided conceding a goal in their 4-1 win if the defenders and goalkeeper S.Kumar had better understanding.
National interim coach Tai Beng Hai admitted that his players have the knack of taking things for granted and lose concentration during matches.
"Pakistan will not be easy. They have Sohail and he is an added advantage to them. We may have beaten them in the Sultan Azlan Shah but they were without their star players then and so it cannot be made as a yardstick," said Beng Hai in Kuantan yesterday.
"We cannot afford to concede penalty corners against them. I need to re-align my defensive strategy. Overall, we cannot discount any player in the Pakistan team. They will start as favourites in this match."
Meanwhile, forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Jalil is raring for action against Pakistan today. Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, who missed last month's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup because of a knee injury, is the current topscorer for Malaysia with three goals.
"I'm glad to have made it for the tournament. My form is getting better after the injury and I hope to continue my progress against Pakistan. They are a very strong team and we must take our chances well in order to win." said Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin.
For the record Malaysia have never made it to the finals of the Asia Cup and Beng Hai's side have a chance to do it if they beat Pakistan today. In the 2007 edition, Malaysia won a bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Pakistan stand-in coach Shahid Ali Khan is confident his side will beat Malaysia today.
"We are here to win the Asia Cup. We are going all out to become champions will earn a ticket to next year's World Cup. We may need a little luck against Malaysia but we will do it," said Shahid yesterday.
"We have rested well after our last group match with India on Sunday. I have been using this time frame to prepare my players for the challenge against Malaysia. They are a very good team and probably the best side in the tournament but my players will do their best to win."
Pakistan have won the Asia Cup three times - 1982, 1985 and 1989. They finished second to South Korea and India in 1999 and 2003, respectively.
However, in the last Asia Cup, played at Chennai in 2007, Pakistan finished sixth which was their worst-ever showing in the series
Pakistan's new rising star Haseem Khan, the current topscorer for his team with two goals, is also looking forward for the semi-final.
The 19-year-old forward has been instrumental for Pakistan and has forged a deadly partnership with Rehan Butt. He showed maturity in his game when he scored two goals in his team's 3-2 win over India.
"Victory against India may be a step forward. But it’ll be long before Pakistan hockey is back on the track. I thank my coach (Shahid) for giving me the chance to play here. The semi-final against Malaysia will be tough but I'm determined to help Pakistan make the final," said the nephew of Ex-Olympian Hanif Khan.