KUALA LUMPUR – Playing for Matadors Hockey Club in the local league proved useful for Pakistan captain Ammad Shakeel Butt and several of his teammates, who held Malaysia to a hard-fought 3–3 draw in their FIH Nations Cup group clash last night.
The thrilling Group B encounter at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday saw Pakistan race to a two-goal lead inside the first 10 minutes before Malaysia stormed back with a late revival in front of 3,500 fans.
The result marked the ninth draw between the two sides since their first meeting at the 1968 Mexico Olympics.
Despite arriving at the tournament without any warm-up matches, Pakistan started brightly, with Ahmad Nadeem (6th minute) and Abdul Rehman (9th) putting them ahead early. Ashraf Rana Waheed added a third in the 54th minute.
Malaysia responded with a spirited fightback, scoring three goals in the final 11 minutes through Fitri Saari (49th) and Syed Syafiq Syed Cholan (52nd, 56th) to earn a point.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Ammad, who has 142 international caps, said the exposure gained while playing for Matadors in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) gave him and his teammates valuable insight into Malaysia’s style of play.
“For sure, playing for Matadors gave us an edge. It wasn’t easy playing against Malaysia just because of that, but it made a difference,” said Ammad.
“We gained valuable game time and learnt the tendencies of several Malaysian players. That helped us prepare better for this tournament. We’re also familiar with the Bukit Jalil conditions, and we’re grateful for that experience.
“Malaysian players are known for their speed, and we picked up some of their traits during our time with the club.”
The eight Pakistani players who featured for Matadors this MHL season were Abdul Hannan Shahid, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Zikriya Hayat, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Usama Bashir, Abdul Mannan, and Rana Muhammad Waleed Ashraf.
The club finished fifth in the 10-team league.
Pakistan next face Japan at 6pm today, while Malaysia take on New Zealand at 8pm in their second Group B fixture at the same venue.
Meanwhile, national head coach Sarjit Singh admitted that nerves and lack of focus early on nearly cost Malaysia, especially after a rain delay of over an hour disrupted their pre-match rhythm.
“My players showed great spirit to come back from 2–0 and 3–2 down to earn a point,” said Sarjit.
“We only started playing well in the third and fourth quarters. Credit to the boys for their work rate, but we must do better.
“In the dressing room, I told them to improve their mentality – control and release the ball quicker. Once that clicked, they showed more hunger.”
Sarjit said every point matters at this stage and is hoping for a sharper performance against New Zealand tonight. – June 16, 2025