ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan has announced a 20-member squad for the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026, set to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) made the announcement regarding the squad combining experienced internationals with a number of emerging players as Pakistan prepares for its return to hockey’s premier global event.
The selected players are Waqar, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Moin Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hannan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaquat, Adil Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Imad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hamaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul, Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood, Ali Raza, Abdul Muttan and Muhammad Imad.
Waqar and Ali Raza have been named as goalkeepers.
The team management will be led by manager Muhammad Owais Qarni, while Dutch coach Bob Johan Velthof will serve as head coach.
Christopher John Bowen of Great Britain and Adnan Zakir have been appointed assistant coaches, with Ashraf Sultan taking charge as video technician.
Pakistan secured qualification for the World Cup after returning to the elite level of international competition, but the team heads into the tournament under pressure following a poor performance in recent months.
The Green Shirts endured a disappointing FIH Pro League campaign, losing all 16 of their matches against the world’s leading teams and finished at the rock bottom.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 pools
Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales
