NEWS
Follow UsAhead of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States of America, England has brought back psychologist David Young in a bid to help the team regain its rhythm. Young was part of the backroom staff in the English Premier League club Manchester City, helping them to multiple titles.
Young was earlier part of the England setup in a four-year period from 2016 to 2020, where he played a crucial role in the Three Lions’ winning their first-ever ODI World Cup, in 2019.
"He's previously been with the team and he's already been a great ally in messages back to me, making sure my messages are clear. It's always good to have someone who's a little bit removed from the squad to make sure you're landing your messages… He's still doing other roles but we've got him for this series, and the start of the World Cup as well,” Mott said, reported ESPNCricinfo.
"As a group, we've made a commitment to be a bit more open in and around our training sessions, to help each other out a bit more. In India, all of us were guilty of being a bit insular, and trying to problem-solve ourselves. We've made a commitment to open up and be a bit more vulnerable as a group so that we're helping each other."
Mott also insisted that the current crop of English cricketers could learn a thing or two from RCB’s rise to the playoffs. RCB had won just one out of their first eight fixtures before beating Chennai Super Kings in their last league game to qualify for the knockouts.
After losing in their early fixtures in the 2023 ODI World Cup, the Three Lions never recovered before facing a group-stage exit.
"The way they had nothing to lose and came out and played a different brand of cricket - could we have done that earlier? Maybe, yes. On reflection, we didn't react as we should have after the start."
Mott also insisted that the English team needed to regain their mojo, and someone with David Young's experience could be helpful.
"We feel like it's time to get the mojo back and go out and really express ourselves as a team. I think T20, as opposed to ODI, is so much clearer in the way the players can approach it. We've seen in the IPL, you have to go out and really take the game on from the start. Most teams are going to go that way, so it's going to be an exciting World Cup."
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