Asia Cup: Mohsin Naqvi steps in at ICC Academy; Pak turn to mind games before India clash

A week aft a controversy-filled clash astatine the Dubai International Stadium, India and Pakistan are preparing for different high-stakes Super Four gathering successful the Asia Cup astatine the aforesaid venue. On Saturday, Pakistan received a morale boost erstwhile PCB president and Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi visited the squad during nets astatine the ICC Academy. In summation to Naqvi’s presence, the PCB has introduced a stress-management program to easiness unit connected players up of the contest. The committee engaged motivational talker Dr Raheel Ahmed, who joined the squad pursuing the radical stage. Ahmed has been moving intimately with the enactment staff, holding idiosyncratic sessions with players struggling to grip the intelligence demands of facing India. His absorption has been to place the causes of intelligence lapses successful cardinal moments.

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Pakistan person besides raised eyebrows by cancelling their pre-match property league for a 2nd successive game, sparking speculation astir unease wrong the camp. The hostility stems from past Sunday’s match, wherever India bushed Pakistan by 7 wickets portion chasing 128 successful 15.5 overs. The brushwood ended successful contention erstwhile Indian players declined to shingle hands with their opponents. Captain Suryakumar Yadav explained it was a motion of solidarity with the families of 26 victims of the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam panic onslaught earlier this year.

The determination angered the PCB, who blamed lucifer referee Andy Pycroft for advising the captains to skip handshakes. Pakistan demanded his removal and adjacent threatened to retreat from the tournament, though the ICC doubly dismissed their appeal.

Frustration reached different level earlier Pakistan’s fixture against the UAE. The players were initially prevented from leaving the edifice arsenic PCB officials debated the team’s participation.

After an hour-long delay, clearance was granted and Pakistan went connected to grounds a comfy triumph to unafraid a Super Four spot. However, caller occupation arose erstwhile a video surfaced showing Pycroft gathering the Pakistan campy earlier that match. The PCB claimed helium apologised during the meeting, though the clip was muted. ICC aboriginal issued a stern email, accusing the committee of aggregate breaches of the PMOA protocol and clarified that Pycroft had lone suggested the gathering to resoluteness tensions from the India game.