Psychologist to the rescue for Pakistan’s ‘pressure problem’

Sarfraz said that Pakistani batsmen need to get rid of their habit of throwing away wickets after getting set.

Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur wants a sports psychologist to work with his players, hoping it would it will help them overcome pressure situations during a game.

Pakistani cricket team coach Mickey Arthur (C) walks with a team cricketer during the team practise at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore (AFP)

Surprisingly, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed is unaware of how the sports psychologist will work with the team.

“I have heard about it but I don’t know how he will work with the team. I have never had the chance of working with a sports psychologist but If I do only then can I say how the experience is like. But yes our batsmen are failing to play long innings and crumble when asked to chase a target,” he said.

Sarfraz said that Pakistani batsmen need to get rid of their habit of throwing away wickets after getting set.

Arthur, who has been with the Pakistan team since 2016, had said after Pakistan lost the first Test to New Zealand by just four runs, that crumbling under pressure is a big problem with the team for which a solution was required.

The Pakistan coach said he had suggested using the services of a sports psychologist to work with the players.

This is not the first time that Pakistani players would be interacting with a sports psychologist as in the past such experiments have been done with little or no success.