KUALA LUMPUR: The famous Saari brothers, Faizal and Fitri, are among the seniors expected to retain their spots in the national team under newly appointed coach Sarjit Singh.
Faizal, 33, and Fitri, 31, were outstanding in the just-concluded Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), with the former, a striker, netting 23 goals for TNB Cup runners-up Terengganu.
His brother, Fitri, a midfielder, scored eight goals for the same team in the competition.
Tenaga Nasional's Marhan Jalil, 34, who led his side to a treble this year, is also expected to get the nod.
Sarjit will reveal his list of 45 players, who shone in the MHL, for centralised training on Tuesday.
However, most players on the list will be between 19 and 25 years old, as Sarjit wants to rebuild the Speedy Tigers from scratch.
The trainees will report for training on March 19.
The major assignments this year are the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (May 4-11) and the Nations Cup (May 31-June 9).
The national senior team were disbanded in January following their failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics under then-coach A. Arul Selvaraj.
Tenaga forward Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal, who emerged as the top scorer in the MHL with 32 goals, will likely be on top of Sarjit's list.
"I hope to continue playing for the national team and score many goals.
"My dream is to help the Speedy Tigers win the 2026 Asian Games title in Nagoya," said Azrai, who has 70 caps.