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Bangladesh face an uphill task when they take on mighty Pakistan in the first of their three-match play-off hockey series at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium today.

The winners of the series will book a place in next year’s FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup qualifiers scheduled for February and March next year.

The other two games will be played at the same venue on Friday and Sunday, and all the matches will start at 3:00pm.

However, the series was initiated by the International Hockey Federation after Pakistan denied travelling to India for the Asia Cup in August-September due to the tense political situation between the two countries.

Under the FIH system, Pakistan were given the opportunity to play the series against the team that finished sixth in the AHF Men’s Hockey Asia Cup.

Bangladesh secured sixth place in the Asia Cup, which took place in India from 29 August to 7 September, leading to Pakistan’s visit to Dhaka.

Bangladesh (29th) are 15 places behind the four-time FIH Hockey World Cup champions Pakistan (14th) in the current FIH Men’s World Rankings.

In their last five meetings, Bangladesh have lost every match, with the most significant defeat being an 8-0 loss in the Asian Cup held in Jakarta in 2022.

‘I know many of them — I know what they can do. I was their coach, and they know how I think, what I do, and what I want. Besides, they also know who they’re up against. That makes the matches even more interesting,’ said Bangladesh’s Dutch coach Siegfried Gottlieb Aikman, who also coached Pakistan, at the pre-series press conference on Wednesday.

‘It’s a big challenge, not an easy one. There’s a huge gap not only in ranking but also in experience. The Pakistan team has played many matches recently. They have qualified for the Pro League and performed well in other tournaments too. So their confidence is high, and their players are skilled and fast,’ he said.

Pakistan captain Ammad Shakeel Butt hoped it would be an exciting series. 

‘This is a very important tournament for both teams, because it provides a chance to qualify for the World Cup. ..The whole team is working together. So, we are eagerly waiting for tomorrow’s thrilling match.’