NEW DELHI:
England
, the defending champions, have enlisted the services of
David Young
, the
psychologist
from Premier League winners
Manchester City
, for the upcoming ICC
T20 World Cup
set to commence in the Americas on June 2.
Young, who previously supported England during their triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign, returns to the squad for the T20 format following England's disappointing performance in the ODI World Cup in India last year.
Having enjoyed a successful tenure with Manchester City, who recently secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title, Young brings valuable experience to the England setup.
Previously associated with the England cricket team from 2016 to 2020, Young has reconnected with the squad on a short-term basis for the T20 World Cup and is currently part of the support staff for the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan.
"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," England white-ball coach
Matthew Mott
said.
"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 for the start of the World Cup as well."
England's early exit at the group stage of the 50-over World Cup last year prompted a reflection on their team dynamics. Coach Mott emphasized the necessity for the team to embrace vulnerability, suggesting that a more open and supportive environment was required. He acknowledged that the team had paid the price for being somewhat closed-off or "insular" during their campaign in India.
"When you've had the kick in the pants like we've had, you can't just go 'business as usual'. You have to redefine how you go as a team," Mott said.
"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."
England will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland on June 4 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·