Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has roped in sports psychologist Dr. Maqbool Babri, who will be a part of the squad for Asia Cup 2023, as per PTI. Pakistan kick off the Asia Cup 2023 facing off against Nepal on August 30.

The Asia Cup 2023 will start on August 30 and will continue till September 13. Four matches will be played in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka as the tournament is being played in the hybrid model. A PCB official has confirmed the appointment of Dr. Maqbool Babri saying that he will be providing counseling to the players during the tournament.

“Yes, Dr Maqbool Babri who has worked in the past with counselling of some of our players will be accompanying the squad,” the PCB source said, as quoted by PTI.

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Dr. Maqbool Babri Will Be Counseling The Players: PCB Official

The source further said the appointment of Maqbool Babri was to ensure that the players are provided with comprehensive support so that they can focus on winning the tournament for Pakistan. Babri has previously worked with players helping them channelize their inner conscience and to overcome high-pressure situations.

The PCB source added saying that Babri was being sent with the players so that they can talk to him about anything and ease themselves up in a big tournament like the Asia Cup rather than keeping things to themselves.

Pakistan have announced a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup 2023 led by Babar Azam. The PCB on Sunday announced that a pre-departure camp will be organized for the players which will commence at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore from Monday.

The camp will be held from August 14-16 before the players depart for Hambantota on 17 August. Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Muhammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Ali Agha, and Saud Shakeel will attend the camp. Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Tayyab Tahir, and Shaheen Afridi will arrive in Lahore on 16 August from London for departure on 17 August.

The players will be joining the team in Hambantota. A total of 8 players have been added to the camp apart from the regular players announced for the tournament. Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Umar, Sufyan Muqeem, Mehran Mumtaz, and Qasim Akram are the other eight players who will attend the camp.

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