Munawwaruz Zaman (left) - Pakistan's star penalty corner striker at the 1971 World Cup

Rags to Riches – Cinderella stories from Pakistan hockey

Dr Ijaz Chaudhry, a Pakistan freelance hockey writer based in Lahore, chronicles some of the more interesting stories in hockey. 

Rookies deliver World Cup success
For the first World Cup in 1971, Pakistan’s selection committee’s proposed team included fullbacks Tanveer Dar, Akhtar-ul-Islam and Najmi. The selected team was sent to the executive council of Pakistan Hockey Federation for approval, an exercise generally regarded as more or less a formality. However the council surprisingly replaced Najmi with 19-year-old novice Munawwaruz Zaman.

Munawwar went to Spain as reserve fullback and as luck would have it, Pakistan’s regular fullback Akhtarul Islam was banned for two matches during the tournament. Munawwar made his international debut in the last pool match and lady luck again smiled in the next match - the semi final against traditional rival India. 

Pakistan’s legendary penalty corner striker Tanveer Dar had been in tremendous form during that World Cup, scoring as many as eight of Pakistan’s 11 goals in the pool matches. 

In the semi final against India, with the scores tied at 1-1, Tanveer Dar injured his knee and limped out of the match. Shortly afterwards, Pakistan was awarded a penalty corner and Munawwar was asked to take the strike. 

It was Munawwar’s first attempt at a penalty corner in an international match and happened to arise in a World Cup semi final against India! The teenage lad stepped up and sounded the board to score the match-winning goal of the semi-final. Pakistan went on to win the World Cup and Munawwar instantly became a household name at home. 

In Pakistan’s next World Cup triumph in 1978 a similar story surfaced. Just before the World Cup, Pakistan and India played a four-Test series. In the last Test, Pakistan’s right fullback, Manzoorul Hassan, broke his arm. 

For the World Cup, Rana Ehsanullah was called in as a replacement. Previous to the tournament, Ehsanullah had only made a tour of Kenya in 1974 with the Pakistan Whites team. However he marked his full international debut in the first match of the World Cup with a goal and gained eternal fame in the final. 

In the final against the Netherlands, the score was 2-2 until late in the second half. Pakistan’s first choice penalty corner expert Munawwaruz Zaman had not been able to convert any of the penalty corners until that stage. When Pakistan earned another opportunity, skipper Islahuddin signalled to Ehsan to move up. And as they say, the rest is history; Ehsanullah scored the World Cup winning goal off the penalty corner. 

In Pakistan’s next World Cup triumph in 1982, yet another rookie attained instant stardom. The 17-year-old Shahid Ali Khan went to Bombay (now Mumbai) as reserve to the experienced Moinuddin. Prior to the tournament, Shahid had played just one international, a Test touring Zimbabwe! With Pakistan’s semi final berth already secured, Shahid was included in the last pool match against Poland. 

When the names of two teams flashed on the television screens before the semi final between Pakistan and Netherlands, many people thought that a mistake had occurred. 

Pakistan’s manager, Brigadier Atif, had included Shahid in place of Moinuddin. Atif’s contention was that Moinuddin was beaten three times at penalty corners in Pakistan’s toughest pool match against Germany (which Pakistan won 5-3) and his confidence was badly shaken. 

Teenage Shahid stunned all and sundry by performing a “miracle” in that semi final against Holland. During the early stages of the match, Netherlands were awarded a penalty stroke. The penalty stroke was taken by famous Ties Kruize, but Shahid acrobatically saved the goal. The buoyed Pakistan team went on to win the match. In Pakistan’s victory in the final, the young Shahid again guarded Pakistan’s net. 

When a change of hockey stick altered a player’s fortune
Left fullback Khalid Bashir had been playing regularly for Pakistan since 1987. He had proved himself to be a solid and dependable defender but had been a poor converter of penalty corners until 1991 as judged by his performance in major tournaments. 

He had scored just one goal in three Champions Trophy events (1988, 1989, 1990), three goals at the 1990 World Cup and just one strike in the 1990 Asian Games. 

One of Pakistan’s greatest fullbacks, Munawwaruz Zaman became Pakistan’s coach in 1991 and he worked on Khalid Bashir. The main change that Munawwar brought about was not in Khalid himself but in the equipment that he was using. 

He changed Khalid’s hockey stick, introducing one that was similar to the one Munawwar used himself during his international career and which enabled him to score a bagful of goals from penalty corners.

Believe it or not, almost overnight, Khalid Bashir became a fearsome penalty corner expert. He was Pakistan’s top scorer in the next three Champions Trophy tournaments in 1991, 1992 and 1993, with seven, five and six goals respectively. In addition, he also topped his country’s score sheet at the 1992 Olympic Games with eight goals. 

Pakistan’s World Cup victory made in Japan
In the inaugural World Cup in 1971, when then Olympic champions Pakistan lost to hosts Spain in their last pool match, their title hopes were all but over. The only scenario which could steer them into the semi final was almost unthinkable - the mighty Netherlands faltering against the minnows from Japan. 

If Netherlands won, Pakistan was out. A draw meant that Pakistan’s fortunes depended on the Spain v Australia match. Even then the best that Pakistan could hope for was a play-off for the semi final. 

But Japan defied all the odds and did Pakistan a great favour by beating Netherlands 1-0. It was a one-sided match with the Dutch dominating throughout. Japanese goalkeeper Otsuka had the match of his life and Netherlands failed to convert any of the 19 penalty corners that came their way. 

So courtesy of Japan, Pakistan made it into the semis and eventually won the first ever World Cup. Otsuka’s reward: He was named goalkeeper in the World XI announced at the end of the tournament. Moreover he had the honour of being named player of the tournament.

From King to Pauper, then again to Olympian heights
Pakistan won back to back World Cups in 1978 and 1982 without losing or even drawing a single match in either campaign. How did they perform in the very next World Cup? Were they in the finals or got eliminated in the semis? No, Pakistan played for the wooden spoon! 

Yes, Pakistan played against India (winners of 1975 World Cup) for the 11th and 12th position - which Pakistan won. 

But Pakistan made an immediate recovery following their dismal showing. They finished second and first in the next two World Cups in 1990 and 1994 respectively.

It’s interesting that the only two surviving players from the 1986 debacle emerged as Pakistan’s greatest heroes in the victory march of 1994 World Cup. Mercurial forward Shahbaz Ahmad not only captained Pakistan in 1994 but was also named Player of the Tournament. 

Vice captain, goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmad’s brilliance carried Pakistan through penalty stroke shoot outs in the semi final as well as the final. He was also named the best goalkeeper of that World Cup.