KUALA LUMPUR: Youngster Amirul Hamizan Azahar is regarded as the best midfielder in Malaysian hockey.
And it was no surprise when national coach Arul Selvaraj named the 21-year-old in his 18-member squad for the
Sultan Azlan Shah (SAS) Cup, which begins on Tuesday in Ipoh.
"Amirul is a dedicated player and dares to take on any team. He showed his strength in the middle of the park during our friendly matches against world No. 2 Belgium and France recently," said Arul today.
"He has the potential to go far and become one of the national team's key players. I am confident he will shine in his international debut in Ipoh."
Forward Tengku Nasrol Ikmal Tengku Abdul Rahim, who earned his first international cap in a Test match against Australia in April, is also among the players picked for the 10-day tournament.
Nippy defender Faiz Helmi Jalil and forward Norsyafiq Sumantrim, who passed their fitness test after recovering from injuries, will also feature in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Among the absentees are captain Marhan Jalil and forward Shahril Saabah, who are injured.
Arul has picked defender Najmi Farizal Jazlan as captain in Marhan's absence.
"Najmi is my pick for the armband as he has the ability to lead the team. It will be his first assignment as captain.
"I believe he will do well. Furthermore, we have eight other seniors to assist him during the tournament."
Malaysia will open their campaign against Asian champions South Korea on Tuesday, followed by Pakistan (Wednesday), South Africa (Nov 4), Egypt (Nov 5) and Japan (Nov 7), with the final on Nov 10.
Based on the world rankings, world No. 10 Malaysia are the highest-ranked team in the tournament.
Malaysia finished runners-up five times but have never won the tournament.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Hafizuddin Othman, Zaimi Mat Deris;
Defenders: Razie Abdul Rahim, Najmi Farizal Jazlan, Syafiq Hassan, Zulpidaus Mizun, Aminuddin Zain;
Midfield: Firhan Ashaari, Faiz Helmi Jali, Meor Azuan Hassan, Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi, Amirul Hamizan Azahar;
Forwards: Najib Abu Hassan, Norsyafiq Sumantri, Ashran Hamsani, Tengku Nasrol Ikmal Tengku Abdul Rahim, Shello Silverius, Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal.