Pakistan Ko "Psychiatrist Bhi Kuch Nahi Sikha Sakta": Ex PCB Chief Mocks Own Team
After the controversial Group Stage match, India and Pakistan are ready to face each other again in Super Four of Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday in Dubai.
- Pakistan Cricket Board added motivational speaker Dr Raheel Karim to support players mentally
- Former PCB Chief Najam Sethi slammed this move by the board
- "Psychiatrist bhi raato raat unko kuch nahi seekha sakta," said Najam Sethi
After the controversial Group Stage match, India and Pakistan are ready to face each other again in Super Four of Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday in Dubai. India registered a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the Group Stage match, which ended on a controversial note after Suryakumar Yadav and co refused to shake hands with Team Pakistan. However, for the upcoming match, the Pakistan Cricket Board has introduced a wild card entry as motivational speaker, Dr Raheel Karim has been added to the camp to help players mentally.
Speaking about the inclusion of Karim, former PCB chief Najam Sethi disagreed with the board's decision. He stated that the players might not accept a psychologist as it is not common in their culture.
"I tried for it [Having a psychiatrist] during my tenure. But, players here don't really accept such things, because in our culture therapy is often misunderstood. Going to a psychiatrist is considered a sign of weakness or even madness, which creates stigma," Sethi told Samaa TV.
"Mental health, however, is a broader concept. Unfortunately, here it is only reduced to: 'Are you crazy or not?' But the most interesting factor here is, many of these experts are foreign-qualified. They communicate in English which isn't the language of our boys. They are required to be told in Urdu or Pashto," he added.
Sethi further stated that players come from different backgrounds and cultures, which can also cause a problem for the psychologist.
"Their backgrounds, their class, and the lack of proper education is another issue. Psychiatrist bhi raato raat unko kuch nahi seekha sakta (A psychiatrist can't help them overnight)," Sethi said.
Dr Raheel brings a wealth of experience in sports and other fields and has worked with several teams in the last decade. "Dr. Raheel joined on Wednesday and will remain with the squad until the end of the tournament," highly-placed sources told www.telecomasia.net on Saturday.
According to the report, there is a feeling that the Pakistan team is going through the jitters in facing India and has failed in handling the pressure of the high-intensity clash.
(With IANS Inputs)
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team