TV host Tabish Hashmi and former Pakistan cricketers Ahmed Shehzad, Rashid Latif and Mohammad Amir have promised to donate one month of their salaries to the Pakistan hockey team if the team performs well in the upcoming FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.⁠

They made the announcement during a recent programme on a private television channel, where the panel discussed Pakistan hockey’s return to the world stage.

Pakistan secured qualification for the World Cup after defeating the Japanese hockey team 4-3 in the semi-final of the World Cup qualifiers in Egypt and booked a place in the final of the event on Friday.

Pakistan opened the scoring to take a 1–0 lead, but Japan fought back strongly and moved ahead 3–1, putting the Men in Green under heavy pressure. 

Pakistan’s attack responded with a strong comeback, first levelling the score at 3–3 before scoring a late goal to secure the victory.

Goalkeeper Ali Raza played a key role in the victory. Japan earned a penalty stroke with four minutes left in the match, but Ali Raza stopped the attempt and protected Pakistan’s narrow lead.

Sufyan Khan, Abu Mahmood, Muhammad Imad and Afraz scored the goals for Pakistan in the thrilling contest.

The win secured Pakistan’s place in the Hockey World Cup for the first time in eight years. The team last appeared in the tournament in 2018 and failed to qualify for the most recent edition.

The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 will take place from August 14 to August 30 in Belgium and Netherlands.