The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has decided to obtain services of a psychologist for the Sri Lanka National Cricket team.

The decision was taken at a special executive meeting held at the Sri Lanka Cricket Board premises yesterday. According to SLC sources, the country's cricket authorities have made this decision on the grounds that the Sri Lankan team has failed in two finals in two successive ICC world cups in 2007 and 2011. 

However, the Sri Lankan cricket team managed to win the ICC T20 finals in 2014, playing against India. 

During this meeting the SLC  decided to obtain services of Psychology specialist and England National Dr Jerome Snapefor a period of three weeks. During this period Dr Jerome Snape is to evaluate the mental condition of the national Cricket team players.

Speaking to Asian Mirror a SLC spokesperson said that the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has not acquired the services of a psychologist since 1981 - from the time Sri Lanka received test status. 

However, the spokesman failed to explain why the Sri Lankan national cricket team did not receive the assistance of a psychologist for a period of 33 years, especially in a context where other test playing nations had considered psychological training as an important aspect of the game. 

Accordingly, the services of British Psychiatric Consultant Dr. Jerome Snape will be obtained for the team. However, he is to be employed in late November and his services will be limited for just three weeks. He is to be paid 800 Sterling Pounds per day.

Meanwhile, Trevor Penney is to be appointed as the Assistant Coach of the national team. A Warwickshire stalwart for 17 years, Trevor Penney retired from first-class cricket at the end of the 2005 season to take up a post as Sri Lanka's assistant coach. He took interim charge of the team when Tom Moody retired from the coaching job in 2007. Penney has also been a fielding coach for England Cricket Team.