Why is this Pakistan side so young?
Pakistan has always been an experimental side. India used to be like that until a few years ago.
This time, the Pakistan team management has said that they want to groom the juniors, recognising that they haven’t done anything big in the last decade. Their idea is that if that’s the result with the senior team, then they might as well give some experience to the juniors.
India and Pakistan had similar problems at one stage. How did India race ahead?
The last time Pakistan came to India was in 2007. India and Pakistan were on par then, even though the former had won the Asia Cup then. But neither side was the best in the Asia, which was South Korea.
We all know what happened in 2008, when India didn’t qualify for the Olympics. Then the whole sting operation, which led to a bureaucratic shake up.
After that Indian hockey took a different direction. Even Pakistan also acknowledges that Indian administration woke up and took charge, helping the improvement of Indian hockey. A lot of credit goes to Hockey India. To go from finishing last in 2012 Olympics to winning bronze in 2021, takes a lot of effort.
Money is a huge part. Pakistan hockey has been struggling with finds. Not being able to take part in the Pro League, due to money issues, has affected their progress.
Which is a memorable match between these two sides?
There have been many. But one that stands out is the Champions Trophy game n 2003, when India came back from 0-3 down to win 7-4. It was the game Jugraj Singh came into the spotlight. That was a young bunch, with a lot of players from the 2001 Junior World Cup team. They had a lot of camaraderie and understanding, which I think is very rare. They were like a family.
Even the Pakistan side would admit that it was a game they never expected from India. Until then, aggression was some thing reserved for the Pakistanis. But that game flipped that narrative. That match felt like a turning point.
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