Right half Mohammad Usman was retained as captain and centre forward Kamran Ashraf staged a comeback after missing the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia last month due to knee injury.

Pakistan failed to qualify for the medal rounds in the maiden hockey competitions at the Games.

Full back Olympian Danish Kalim and half back Irfan Mahmood were axed.

Kamran, 24, a prolific scorer, will be the vice-captain.

``Our main target is Sydney Olympics in two years' time and Champions Trophy will be the first step in building the team,'' Pakistan Hockey Federation president Akhter Rasool said.

The hosts face a tough competition, with defending champions Germany, World and Olympic champions The Netherlands, Commonwealth Games champions Australia, silver medallist at the 1996 olympics and World Cup Spain, andSouth Korea lined up for the event.

England pulled out of the event amid security fears, giving way to Asian champions South Korea. Pakistan have won the trophy thrice with the last title coming in 1994 when they won as hosts.

Three times Olympic and four times World Champions, Pakistan overhauled the team last year axing mercurial Shahbaz Ahmed, Tahir Zaman and four others.

Team: Ahmed Alam and Mohammad Qasim (goalkeepers), Aamir Salim, Ali Raza, Sohail Abbas (full backs), Mohammad Usman (captain), Imran Yousuf, Mohammad Wasim, Asad Ali Qureshi (half backs), Hyder Hussain, Mohammad Sarwar, Kamran Ashraf, Naveed Iqbal, Mohammad Anees, Atif Bashir and Baber Abdullah (forwards) Manager: Khwaja Zakauddin, Coach: Shahnaz Sheikh.