KARACHI Pakistan has been placed in the toughest pool A of the 10-nation Commonwealth Games Hockey Competition which will be played in New Delhi from October 4 to 14, according to information received here Saturday. Australia, host India, Malaysia and Scotland are other teams in the pool. Pakistan will be returning to New Delhi within a year. In March this year, Pakistan had the horrifying experience of playing and finishing last in the 12-team World Hockey Cup. The Pakistan team will once again be pitted against almost the same teams that it played against in the recently held Azlan Shah Hockey where it got fifth placing. However as the Commonwealth games will be held almost a month before, the Guangzhou Asian Games which is the target of the former champions, Pakistan may not send its full strength to New Delhi this time and might prefer to send the second best. With hardly 130 days left for the start of the Commonwealth Games, the Pakistan Hockey Federation has to make a quick policy decision on the selection of the team for the Games. Pakistan play their first match against Scotland on October 5 and next day meet Malaysia. On October 9, they meet Australia and on October 10, will have the stiffest test against host India. In pool B of the mens competition are England, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago. A total of 10-mens and 10-womens teams will compete in the 11-day hockey tournament, to be played on two pitches of the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the Indian capital, the same venue where the Hero Honda FIH World Cup was played in March this year. After round robin league pool competition, top two teams from each pool will reach the semi-final. Women pools: Pool A: Australia, South Africa, India, Scotland, Trinidad & Tobago. Pool B: England, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia, Wales. The womens tournament opens with a match between New Zealand and Wales, followed later in the day with host India facing Scotland in a Pool A clash. The mens tournament will start on Tuesday October 5 with India facing Malaysia in the evening match. The womens final will be on Wednesday October 13 while the mens teams will compete for the gold medal one day later.