IPOH: Pakistan are ready to put bodies on the line to capture their fourth Sultan Azlan Shah (SAS) Cup hockey crown.
The Green Shirts suffered bruises and a battering from the Speedy Tigers, and yet their resilience led them to a narrow 5-4 win over Malaysia in the SAS Cup opener at the Azlan Shah Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
Pakistan forward Sulman Razzaq came off the worse for wear in the win as he received heavy knocks to his knee and chest from the ball.
Pakistan coach Roelant Oltmans said: ''Sulman has been hit really hard on his knee and several parts of his body, and he's iced everywhere.
''The injury was bad, and that's the reason why we had to take him off the field. He had an unlucky game.
"We had to play defensively against Malaysia as we didn't have a choice. Many of my players were using their bodies to defend. Malaysia were quicker than us, so this is the best way to stop them from scoring goals.
"Our tactic of using our players as a shield worked, and I'm ready to use the same tactic again or any tactic that will make us win a match and keep us on track to win the title."
World No. 15 Pakistan have won the SAS Cup in 1999, 2000, and 2003, and they finished third two years ago.