KUALA LUMPUR: Former world champions Pakistan almost withdrew from the Asian Games after their players threatened to walkout for not being paid their allowances.
They only confirmed their participation in the tournament after Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Sajjad Khokhar assured the team that all dues will be cleared.
The three-time Olympic champions are already in Jakarta to prepare for the Asian Games. They will open their Group B campaign against Thailand on Aug 20.
Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Oman make up the pool.
Malaysia will only travel to Jakarta on Thursday, three days before they open against Kazakhstan.
"I believe Pakistan and Malaysia have a similar goal, and that is to top Group B. And their early arrival will give them more time to settle down and acclimatise to the weather and food.
"For us, Jakarta does not pose a problem of acclimatisation. Everything suits us just fine," said national coach Stephen Van Huizen.
World No 13 Pakistan and 12th-ranked Malaysia will only face off on Aug 26.
"We will play Kazakhstan first, followed by Thailand (Aug 22) and Bangladesh (Aug 24), and these matches will help us adapt with the pitch before the Pakistan encounter.
"However, we will not take other teams lightly. We need to score as many goals as it could be crucial if our game against Pakistan ends in a draw.
Defending champions and World No 5 India, who are in Group A, are the favourites, and Malaysia must avoid them at all cost in the semi-finals.
South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Indonesia are the other teams in Group A.
“India are far ahead in terms of ranking and they are favourites to make the final.
“Pakistan are just one rung below us, and that is why they have turned up early in Jakarta to prepare for the tournament.
"We are also prepared as both teams have played each other many times before, and we know their strengths and weaknesses," Van Huizen added.
In the last meeting at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April, Malaysia were held 1-1 by their Asian rivals.