As the Indian hockey stars return to the national team after the well-deserved rest, it’s time to look beyond the Azlan Shah hockey tournament. Keeping in mind the Olympic qualifier in March, the Indian think-tank must have taken a stock of the team which the Indians will face at Madrid. Of the seven teams at Kuala Lumpur; Pakistan, Spain, Malaysia along with India; will play the qualifiers. And in case India clear the hurdle to reach Athens they are expected to play Germany, Spain and Australia.Here is an international form bookPakistan: Despite the loss in the final, they were the most impressive team at KL. Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans has worked out well for the traditional powerhouse. Oltman’s new plan - three goalkeepers, optimum use of bench - paid dividends. Players to watch: Shabir Hussain, Mohammed Nadeem, Kasif Jawed and of course the tournament’s highest scorer Sohail Abbas.Australia: They had come with maximum preparation for the tournament, but were tripped in their first outing - lost 4-1 to Spain and fought back in true Aussie fashion. The Aussies played positive hockey throughout - unlike the other teams who would try to manufacture penalty-corners in the D region. Their tactics was to play open and attacking game. It is good news for Asian fans.South Korea: They have been struggling to find the right combination after finishing last in the 2002 Champions Trophy. They won the battle of nerves against Germany in the playoff but otherwise they were patchy in KL. Positive: Their PC variations. Negative: Weak defenceGermany: They brought 14 of the players from the team that had won the 2002 World Cup at the same venue - who, however, lost to the Koreans. Their superiority was put in doubt by even the experimental Indian team. For Germans, the biggest disappointment was the performance of their reputed goalkeeper Arnold Clemen.Spain: High on promise but low on performance. The European runners-up dazzled in only one match - where they beat Australia 3-1. They were held by lowly Malaysia in the opening fame. The Spaniards were unpredictable at times and their defence was shaky against quality teams.Malaysia: They haven’t improved much since 2000 Olympics. Expected to be among the also-rans.
