National hockey team preparation for the 2023 World Cup hasn’t gone on expected lines, says former chief of Hockey India Narinder Batra

Narinder Batra, former president of the International Hockey federation (FIH) and Hockey India (HI), has shared his thoughts on the 18-member squad announced last week by the national governing body in hockey for the 2023 World Cup. He believes the squad has some weaknesses, including sloppy defense.

“The preparation of the national men’s hockey team for the next month’s FIH World Cup in Odisha hasn’t gone on expected lines,” Batra told Sportskeeda via WhatsApp message. “Defense is one of the areas that could hurt national team prospect at the 2023 World Cup, being held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.”

While Batra claimed there were shortcomings in the preparations, chief coach Graham Reid recently said he was looking forward to putting finishing touches to the excellent preparations done in the last two months.

“Odisha will be an exciting and challenging tournament,” Reid said.

The top 16 teams will feature at the FIH World Cup, starting on January 13. India are clubbed in Pool D along with Wales, Spain and England.

According to Batra, he isn’t associated with the administration of domestic hockey. But in his views, apart from weak defense, the lack of good physical fitness is another issue that could impact the national team's performances at the World Cup.

“There are two defenders who are only 60 percent fit and selected in the national team. I do not understand why a particular midfielder is being continuously selected again when his performance is just average,” Batra questioned.

“The chief coach (Graham Reid) is responsible for selecting final 18-member team and should be held responsible for the overall performance of the national team in the upcoming World Cup.”

Batra said that there is no depth in the defense as there is only one drag-flicker in the national team bound for the 2023 World Cup.

“Who is the other drag flicker in the Indian team apart from Harmanpreet? What have we done in the last one year to build the team?” Batra commented on not building a strong defense.

India won the prestigious World Cup in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. India played hosts to the 2018 World Cup, but the national team failed to go beyond the quarterfinals. The current team led by ace drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh is expected to end the long drought.

The national men’s hockey team gave a good account of themselves to win a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, held last year in Japan.

Goalkeeping is another area that isn’t as strong as it should have been, Batra noted. The HI national selection panel and chief coach shouldn’t have selected seasoned keeper PR Sreejesh in the team. Krishan Bahadur Pathak is the second goalkeeper in the national squad.

“Of the 33 core probables, we have selected the best 18 players in the national team for the World Cup,” one of the members of the national selection panel told Sportskeeda. “We will select from within the group of players available.”