Sri Lanka hire performance psychologist

Sri Lanka Cricket have hired the services of performance psychologist Dr. Phil Jauncey on a short-term basis, at the behest of new head coach Chandika Hathurusingha. Jauncey has previously worked with Hathurusingha on the Bangladesh national team, completing at least two stints in Dhaka. His work with the Sri Lanka side began on Wednesday, and is expected to last 10 days. The team hopes to engage him over many more stints along the way.

"[Jauncey] is currently working with the Sri Lankan national side, where he will focus on identifying the personality traits of each player, the best communication and learning methods suited for each player, and also of the coaching staff," a board release said.

A lecturer in field psychology, Jauncey also works as a psychologist with the Australian Baseball team. Hathurusingha had met him during a previous Big Bash League season, when Hathurusingha was coaching the Sydney Thunder. "I think [Jauncey] will be very useful both for me and the players," Hathurusingha had said soon after taking the Sri Lanka job. "In fact, he has helped me quite a bit in the past in better understanding my players."

Sri Lanka have previously hired sports psychologists on short-term engagements - Jeremy Snape being the most recent such appointment, during the 2015 World Cup.