Hockey: England lacking invention

ENGLAND will go into the World Cup in Sydney at the end of November seriously short of flair and goalscoring potential, writes Bill Colwill.

The team, announced yesterday, is not short of experience but it is disappointing that only Simon Mason, the goalkeeper, has come through from last year's Under-21 World Cup squad, although Simon Nicklin, who has been in the national side since April 1991, was also in Terrassa.

John Shaw and Andy Humphrey will be added to the squad for the Five Nations Tournament in Malaysia at the end of August.

ENGLAND SQUAD (for World Cup, Sydney, November): J Laslett, S Nicklin, P McGuire (Teddington); B Crutchley, S Hazlitt, J Potter (Hounslow); C Mayer (Cannock); D Luckes (East Grinstead); S Mason (Firebrands); Soma Singh (Southgate); N Thompson, J Halls (Old Loughtonians); D Williams (Havant); R Garcia (Polo Barcelona). J Shaw (Southgate), A Humphrey (Hull) in for Penang Five Nations.