Hockey: Injury forces Leaver to put record chase aside

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Brett Leaver's hopes of becoming New Zealand's most-capped player will have to wait.

The experienced Auckland defender has withdrawn from the team, who leave today for the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

Leaver, troubled by a knee injury, advised national coach Kevin Towns last weekend that he was not 100 per cent and should be replaced.

His place in the 18-man squad has gone to fellow Auckland defender Alpesh Puna, who has been part of the national squad since August 2000. He has played eight internationals.

Leaver has 157 caps - three shy of Jamie Smith's record. Leaver remains confident that, in time, he will be ready to play the Argentinians here in June and at the Commonwealth Games a month later.

"Brett has made it clear he is not retiring but wants to give his knee more time," said New Zealand Hockey Federation chief executive Ramesh Patel.

"We are prepared to give him that. The onus will then be on him to get himself match-fit."

With Leaver missing the World Cup, in which New Zealand are grouped with the Netherlands, Pakistan, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, South Africa and Spain, Wellington strike forward Umesh Parag has the opportunity to beat Smith's record.

Parag has 153 caps and the chance of playing nine games at the World Cup.

The team leave this afternoon and will play warm-up games against Malaysian Juniors (on Saturday), Malaysia (Sunday), India (Tuesday) and possibly South Korea next Wednesday.

The World Cup starts on February 24.

New Zealand: Simon Towns (captain), Ryan Archibald, Dion Gosling, Bevan Hari, Alpesh Puna, Ken Robinson, Paul Woolford (Auckland), Michael Bevin, Hayden Shaw, Peter Stafford (Canterbury), Hymie Gill, David Kosoof, Darren Smith (North Harbour), Blair Hopping, Phillip Burrows, Umesh Parag, Mitesh Patel (Wellington), Dean Couzins (Otago).