Reports | India ropes in Paddy Upton as mental conditioning expert

With a jam-packed schedule ahead of them, the Indian players face mental challenges time and again. They played in biosecure environments for more than two years and so guidance to recalibrate mental challenges is necessary. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, BCCI have added Paddy Upton as mental conditioning expert in the support staff and he joined the squad on Monday. Upton will start his tenure with the West Indies series and will help the players tackle mental challenges. 

Upton has an impressive portfolio while working with different teams. Between 2008 to 2011, he was part of India’s support staff and the team won World Cup by end of his stint. He then went on to work with South Africa who became the No. 1 Test team in 2013. The report says that Rahul Dravid has briefed Upton on helping Indian players stay mentally charged for T20 World Cup. He will work on the mental well-being of the players and has been asked to set up an environment that would allow youngsters to express themselves freely.