Pakistan’s ongoing Asia Cup 2025 campaign has garnered more eyes for their antics off the field than on the field. During the handshake dispute, it was revealed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had hired a psychologist to help players manage stress, stay focused, and keep composure under pressure.
The addition of a physiologist in the middle of a tournament has called into doubt the team's strength, sparking a completely different argument. Former PCB chief Najam Sethi discussed the idea of having a mental health consultant on the squad during his time, but the players opposed it.
“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.
The former PCB chief further pointed out the language barrier between the expert and the players on the team.
“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 that 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.
Their backgrounds, their class, and the lack of proper education are other issues. Psychiatrist bhi raato raat unko kuch nahi seekha sakta (A psychiatrist can’t help them overnight)," Sethi added.
The news anchor, meanwhile, discussed PCB's attempts to fire Andy Pycroft. The referee of the ICC match was charged with prejudice and favoring India. Sethi accused India of controlling the ICC and stated right away that the Pakistan Cricket Board would not be able to do so.
“As for Andy Pycroft, despite all the noise, Pakistan won’t be able to remove him now. Baat ye hai ki ICC India ke haath mein hai (The fact is simple: the ICC is in India’s hands), and that’s it," Sethi said.
Pakistan skipped the pre-match press conference before their Asia Cup Super Four stage game against India, to be played in Dubai, on September 21, 2025. The tensions are at an all-time high after the no-handshake drama during the Group A game and the ICC rejecting PCB’s demands for Pycroft’s removal.
