The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced a 20-member national squad and team management for the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026, with Abu Bakar Mahmood appointed as captain for the tournament. The World Cup will be held from 15 to 30 August in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Pakistan will compete in the sport's premier international event after successfully qualifying for the tournament.

The squad includes Waqar, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Moeen Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakariya Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Adil Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Imad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hamaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdal, Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood, Ali Raza, Abdul Matan and Muhammad Imad. The team management will be led by manager Muhammad Owais Qarni and head coach Bob Johan Veldhof.

Christopher John Bowen and Adnan Zakar have been appointed as assistant coaches, while Ashraf Sultan will serve as the team's video technician. PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani expressed complete confidence in the announced squad and wished the players and support staff success in the tournament, expressing hope that the team would perform strongly on the world stage.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)