Afghanistan Cricket Board and Jonathan Trott: The T20 World Cup will be held in 2026. It will be played under the co-hosting of India and Sri Lanka. Just three months before the start of the tournament, Afghanistan cricket team coach Jonathan Trott has made a significant decision. Jonathan Trott's tenure as head coach will end after the T20 World Cup. Trott became head coach of the Afghanistan team in 2022. During his tenure, the Afghanistan team performed very well.
Trott, who represented South Africa in before turning to coaching, expressed gratitude for his time with Afghanistan and lauded the players’ determination.
“It has been a privilege to work with the Afghanistan National Team and to witness their passion, resilience, and hunger to achieve greatness.
"I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I will always remain a supporter of Afghan cricket. I wish the team and the Afghan people continued success in the years ahead,” Trott said.
“The tenure of Head Coach Jonathan Trott will officially conclude following the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, set to take place in February,” the ACB said in a statement.
Afghanistan Cricket Board Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said, "On behalf of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Jonathan Trott for his dedicated service and the professionalism he has brought to our national team. His efforts have contributed to a significant period of development for Afghanistan cricket, and we wish him every success in his future endeavors."
The Afghanistan Cricket Board also confirmed that batting coach Andrew Puttick has parted ways with the team. His contract is scheduled to expire on December 31 this year.
Afghanistan stunned defending champions England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the 2023 ODI World Cup, picking up four wins in the tournament. It fell two points short of a place in the semis.
Wins over Australia and Bangladesh helped Afghanistan reach its maiden World Cup semi-final in the 20-over format in 2024 before losing to South Africa.
Trott recently criticized the ACB for miscommunication, stating that he had no role in team selection and had not spoken to the top management or the chief selector. However, Trott later confirmed that any misunderstandings with the ACB have now been resolved and that he is now working well with the board officials.
Jonathan Trott’s Cricket Carrier
The 44-year-old Trott has scored 3,835 runs for South Africa at an average of 44.08. He has scored nine centuries and 19 half-centuries. Furthermore, in 68 ODIs, he has scored 2,819 runs at an average of 51.25. In seven T20Is, he has scored 138 runs at an average of 23.
In their recent outing, Afghanistan sealed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Zimbabwe. Having finished in the top four during the previous edition of the tournament, the Asian side will be among the sides to watch out in next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
