Saqlain cries foul, Sreejesh clarifies!

Pakistan coach Saqlain Muhammad (right) India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

Pakistan's coaches Saqlain Muhammad and Rehan Butt were understandably unhappy with at least a couple of umpiring calls that didn't go their team's way in their 0-4 defeat to India in the last league match of the Asian Champions Trophy at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.

"In the very second minute we scored a goal but the video umpire reduced it to a short corner instead. The on-field umpire rightly awarded a goal and it should have stood but we were unfortunate," Saqlain told mid-day referring to the second minute of the game where Pakistan's Abdul Shahid Hannan tapped in a ball that rose off India goalkeeper Krishan Pathak's pads onto his body which was adjudicated as dangerous play by the video umpire.

Also Read: Asian Champions Trophy: India send Pakistan packing

India then scored off their very first penalty corner with a drag flick by skipper Harmanpreet Singh. But Rehan felt that penalty corner was wrongly awarded. "The first penalty corner which Harmanpreet scored should not have been a PC because there was no infringement from our defence. The umpire got that call wrong. Had India not scored that first goal, the fate of the match could have been different," said Butt.

Meanwhile, India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh offered to correct the assessment of Pakistan coach Saqlain. "Pakistan were rightly disallowed that goal because the ball rose off our goalkeeper's pads but it hit their striker's body. Had it gone in off their striker's stick then the advantage rule could have been applied and the goal could have stood," he clarified.

Besides Harmanpreet's brace (15th and 23rd min), Jugraj Singh (36th) and Akashdeep Singh (55th) were the others scorers for the hosts. After a rest day on Thursday, second-placed Malaysia will face third-placed Korea while table-toppers India will play fourth-placed Japan in the semi-finals on Friday.