The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Tuesday announced a 20-member squad for the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026, to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
The squad blends experienced internationals with emerging talent as Pakistan prepares for its return to hockey’s premier global tournament.
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 the team’s goalkeepers.
The management team will be headed by manager Muhammad Owais Qarni, with Dutch coach Bob Johan Velthof serving as head coach. Christopher John Bowen of Great Britain and Adnan Zakir will be assistant coaches, while Ashraf Sultan has been appointed video analyst.
PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani, who also serves as Secretary of the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry, expressed confidence in the squad and support staff, urging fans to back the national team as it looks to make a strong impact at the World Cup.