Shattered Indians get psychological help before World Cup

Sourav Ganguly's India have sought the help of a South African psychologist to hit the right groove ahead of next month's cricket World Cup, officials said on Sunday.

Noted sports psychologist Sandy Gordon will have two sessions with the Indians soon after they arrive in South Africa for the limited-overs tournament from February 8 to March 23.

The Indians go into cricket's showpiece event recovering from a disastrous tour of New Zealand, where they were blanked 2-0 in the Test series and lost the one-dayers 5-2.

"It's a good idea to get a psychologist to pep up the boys," Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya said after a meeting with the team management.

Dalmiya held talks with coach John Wright, captain Ganguly, physiotherapist Andrew Leipus and physical trainer Adrian Le Roux ahead of the team's departure on Tuesday.

"We deliberated on the lessons learnt from the Kiwi trip and what could be expected in South Africa," Dalmiya said.

Dalmiya said the team's showing in New Zealand could not be taken as a yardstick as "even the hosts struggled to notch up 100 runs on the fast and bouncy tracks".

The Indians will train at their World Cup base in Durban from Thursday and play two warm-up matches against local teams on February 4 and 6.

The BCCI has asked the hosts to arrange 24 South African bowlers to bowl to the Indian batsmen in the nets, Dalmiya said.

He ruled that players' wives will not accompany their husbands for the preliminary leg of the tournament, nor will the cricketers be allowed to give media interviews.

Ganguly will meet the press only before and after matches, but the team's media manager Amrit Mathur will be available to answer queries on non-match days, Dalmiya said.

India is grouped with defending champions Australia, England, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Namibia and the Netherlands in a tough preliminary pool, from which three teams will advance to the second stage.

India take on the Netherlands in their first match at Paarl on February 12.