Sri Lanka series: Mohsin to work on ‘mental toughness’ in training camp

Players to avoid early morning, evening sessions due to dengue threat.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will take strict precautionary measures in next week’s training camp for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka with dengue causing havoc in Lahore.

The PCB shifted the recently concluded Twenty20 Cup to Karachi due to growing dengue-related cases but the board has decided to hold the training camp from October 10 to 13 at its headquarters.

However, the PCB will not leave any stone unturned to ensure safety of the players who will assemble in Lahore before the series in UAE.

“The PCB will take strict safety measures for the players,” the PCB official told The Express Tribune. “The Twenty20 event involved a lot of players and officials which is why it was shifted. However, this is a short camp and things can be controlled as we won’t have training at times when the risk is high.”

Mohsin to work on mental toughness  

Meanwhile, PCB’s chief selector Mohsin Khan, who was named as the interim coach for the tour, will not impose extra workload on the players during the camp.

“It is a short camp that will mainly work as a gathering for the players,” said Khan. “There are hardly any technical flaws at this level and I will just try to overcome minor glitches.”

However, the former Test opener said he would focus on bringing mental toughness.

“It would be a tough series where the players should go with strong nerves. They’re already in rhythm and don’t need much tuning otherwise.”

Anti-doping, corruption lectures

Meanwhile, another PCB official confirmed that the players will also undergo anti-corruption and anti doping lectures during the camp as per routine.

“The policy of giving pre-tour lectures will be maintained during the camp,” said the official. “It would be a long tour and the players would be given instructions on discipline.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2011.