Pakistan gets psychologist ahead of Asia Cup rematch against India; ex-PCB chief explains why move might not work

The Pakistan Cricket Board has hired psychologists for the Salman Agha-led Men in Green ahead of their Asia Cup rematch against India in Dubai on Sunday, former chairman Najam Sethi revealed recently. After starting their campaign with a resounding 93-run victory over Oman, Pakistan suffered a seven-wicket thrashing at the hands of reigning T20 world champions India in their Group A clash on Sunday.

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Pakistan, the team that had finished as the runners-up the last time the continental showpiece event took place in the T20 format, had posted a sub-par 127/9 on the board, thanks mainly to some late fireworks provided by Shaheen Shah Afridi. India, however, ended up cruising to victory with more than four overs to spare to extend their dominance over their arch-rivals.

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Pakistan nearly boycotted their final group match against hosts United Arab Emirates, which would have knocked them out of the tournament, but ultimately had a change of heart and sealed their spot in the Super 4s with a 41-run victory.

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The Men in Green, however, will once again start as the underdogs in their rematch against the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team – who have won 35 out of 39 T20Is since the start of 2024.

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And in order to ensure Agha and Co don’t enter Sunday’s blockbuster clash with a mental block, the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB has provided the team the services of Dr Raheel Karim, a veteran psychiatrist with 40 years of experience in Pakistan as well as in the United Kingdom.

Sethi reveals attempting to hire a psychologist

Ex-PCB chief Sethi, meanwhile, reveals that he had tried to employ a full-time psychologist for the Pakistan team during his tenure and reveals why his proposal fell flat and was ultimately overlooked until current chairman Naqvi provided one in the middle of the Asia Cup.

“I had tried (to hire a full time psychologist) during my tenure, but the cricketers didn’t like the idea. We don’t have the culture of therapy here, and consulting a psychiatrist is considered an insult in our society. People tend to associate a psychiatrist with lunacy. The concept of mental health exists abroad, here it basically comes down to whether a person is clinically sane or not,” Sethi, who has had three different stints as PCB chairman, said on Samaa TV.

‘Lack of education also to blame’

Sethi, who is also a reputed journalist and has also had a stint as a politician, goes on to explain the language barrier as well as cultural aspect that has prevented the Pakistan team from employing a psychologist on a full-time basis.

“Many of these people are foreign qualified, and primarily converse in English. Our boys (Pakistan cricketers), on the other hand, struggle to speak English and are a lot more comfortable with Punjabi or Pashto. They have been brought up in a particular way with their background, class and lack of education. So how can a psychiatrist help them mentally overnight,” he added.

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In addition to the humiliating loss at the hands of the Indian team, Agha and Co have also been dealing with a lot of uncertainty off the field, which began with the Men in Blue refusing to shake their hands last week that snowballed into a massive controversy, with the PCB calling for the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft and also threatening to boycott the tournament during this time.

Come Sunday, the two-time Asian champions will be hoping that Dr Karim is able to clear their minds and help them focus on the job at hand – stopping India’s dominant charge.