Hussain's men play mind games

The England team yesterday called on the services of their sports psychologist to help straighten out the minds of the players as they try to put their World Cup campaign back on track. After the most distracting of weeks, Nasser Hussain's squad took the moment they were supposed to be starting their scheduled match against Zimbabwe – 10am – to hold a meeting which they hope will help them come to terms with what has taken place.

After a week of debating, another meeting would have been the last thing the team would have wanted, but the session with Dr Steve Bull, their psychologist, lasted almost three hours. It would be fair to say they had plenty to go through.

"Zimbabwe was not discussed today," said Bull at its conclusion. "This morning's session has been about drawing a line under the difficult circumstances of the last week and then refocusing on the cricket and the World Cup. It has been about identifying goals and challenges, then meeting these challenges to help us reach our goals."

While the decision over whether to play in Harare may not have been discussed by the players, the effect of being put in this position will have been. Yesterday's meeting will have given them the ideal stage to open their hearts and talk through what has happened. Once this has occurred it is then up to the psychologist to get the players to leave behind the issue – which if allowed to fester will continue to have a negative effect on their preparations – or use it as a motivation to go on to better things.

To benefit from a sports psychologist, you do not have to follow every rule. Mentally, each player has different strengths and weaknesses. Some may struggle to concentrate, while others may allow nerves to affect them. Because of this, there will be areas where you can nip in and take something, others you can leave alone. It is about taking logical steps which help you work things through and take you to the state of mind in which you perform best.

When things are going well you do not have to think, it just happens. There are also times when you are totally focused and in "the zone". You know what you need to do to reach your goal. Nobody can break your concentration or knock you off track and this is what Bull will be hoping to achieve. He will have used the Zimbabwe issue as the catalyst to unite them. The challenge is to aim these efforts in the right direction.

However, the Zimbabwe affair cannot be forgotten because David Morgan and Tim Lamb, respectively the chairman and chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, along with its lawyers, will today make their presentation for the rescheduling of the match to a six-man technical committee. After weighing up the new evidence the committee will make its decision, possibly this evening.

The England all-rounder Craig White was told yesterday evening that he will remain with the England World Cup squad despite his injury concerns. The fitness of White, who has struggled to overcome a torn muscle in his left side side will be reviewed on an ongoing basis after scans revealed no new damage, just the breakdown of scar tissue. The 33-year-old will continue to have intensive treatment.