Dubai, September 21, 2025 – As the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 heats up at Dubai International Stadium, Pakistan has taken a different approach ahead of their high-stakes clash with India. The Men in Green canceled their pre-match press conference. But here’s the real drama: they’re not sulking. Instead, they’ve roped in motivational wizard Dr. Raheel Kareem to fire up the troops and flip the script on their India jinx.
Pakistan’s brain trust summoned Dr. Raheel Kareem, a renowned sports psychologist, on Wednesday to work with the team until the tournament’s end, a move straight out of a Bollywood underdog flick. With a decade mentoring cricket squads globally, Dr. Kareem is tasked with boosting morale, managing pressure, and easing the psychological burden of recent defeats.
Pakistan’s struggle against India is well-documented as they’ve lost 11 of their last 14 T20Is against their rivals, including a crushing seven-wicket defeat in last Sunday’s group match, marking a six-match losing streak. Dr. Kareem’s role is crucial to reset the team for the rematch.
According to American Psychological Association "Sport Psychology interventions are designed to assist athletes and other sports participants (e.g., coaches, administrators, parents) from a wide array of settings, levels of competition and ages, ranging from recreational youth participants to professional and Olympic athletes to master’s level performers."
Tensions off the field have made headlines. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian players refused the customary post-match handshake, prompting Pakistan to skip the ceremony in retaliation. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) criticized match referee Andy Pycroft for not addressing the incident, even threatening a tournament pullout, which delayed their UAE group game by an hour.
Continuing their media blackout, Pakistan skipped today’s press conference to dodge handshake controversy questions. Instead, the team focused on a three-hour training session at the ICC Academy, weaving in Dr. Kareem’s motivational sessions to calm nerves and sharpen focus for the big game.
When & Where: Sunday, September 21, 7:30 PM IST, Dubai International Stadium
India’s Edge: Undefeated in the group stage; Suryakumar Yadav’s calm leadership
Pakistan’s Fightback: Fresh psychological boost; eager to snap India’s winning streak
Watch For: Intense boundaries, referee drama, and the post-match handshake
(Rh/Eth/VK)