New Delhi, Aug 18 — Former India hockey player PR Sreejesh believes matches against Pakistan no longer carry the same level of difficulty they once did, with the Indian team’s improved fitness, strength, game awareness and decision-making giving it an edge ahead of their crucial FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2026 clash.
Sreejesh also supported India in playing its natural style of play and asked the team to remain compact, apply pressure from a high position, and avoid dropping too deep when facing their main rivals.
"Conceding goals in the last quarter or final minutes used to be a problem for us, but that is no longer the case. Now, we are the ones scoring late to win matches. Earlier, during the 35-minute halves, we used to make mistakes due to fitness or poor decision-making and let in goals. But since the four-quarter system came in, and even before that, we made big improvements in our fitness, strength, game awareness, and decision-making, and because of that, matches against Pakistan are not as tough as they used to be. In the past, India vs Pakistan games were tight, often ending 1-0 or 2-1. Pakistan still have potential, but their current team’s level is not the same as before," Sreejesh told JioStar.
The India-Pakistan match has greater importance since India was beaten by England in their last game, which has put their chances of reaching the semifinals on a tighter schedule. Sreejesh, on the other hand, thinks that India should concentrate on their own strengths and make sure their defensive setup does not become too passive.
"The Indian men's hockey team has been playing a new formation for the past year and a half. That formation mostly forces us into defense, but in the recent Pro League, we pushed up and pressed hard in many matches. One important thing is that we need to stay compact in defense when playing against European teams. Otherwise, we should play our natural game in the World Cup. In defense, we used zonal marking, so we need to improve our understanding in that area. We should not drop too deep. We need to step out, press high, and defend even beyond the centre line," he said.
Sreejesh also gave his opinion regarding Harmanpreet Singh's leadership, emphasising that a captain's main duties usually arise outside of the pitch.
"Harmanpreet Singh is a very good captain. On the pitch, a captain's influence is limited because you cannot control every move or player. The person with the ball has to make the decision. Most of a captain's work happens off the pitch, keeping the team united, supporting younger players, helping them settle in, creating a positive team environment, taking players' concerns to the coach, clearing doubts, and making sure everyone understands the coach's instructions. So, for a hockey captain, the work off the field is much more important than what you do on the field," Sreejesh said.