Former England batter Jonathan Trott’s contract as Afghanistan cricket team’s head coach has been extended for a year. Following his successful stint as the team’s head coach, the Afghanistan Cricket Board extended Trott’s contract. His 18-month tenure came to an end in 2023 but the board chose to continue working with him throughout 2024, in which Afghanistan will play the T20 World Cup.
This move comes after Afghanistan’s successful ODI World Cup campaign as the team beat former World Champions like Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka. They also thrashed Netherlands and came close to even beating the eventual Champions Australia before Maxwell produced one of the greatest knocks in white ball cricket. Afghanistan managed to win 4 out of the 10 matches to finish off at the 6th spot in the league stage. From winning a mere one win in their last 2 World Cup campaigns to winning 4 in a single edition, the team took a big leap under Trott’s guidance.
“The decision comes after his successful 18-month tenure, during which he made significant contributions to the team’s progress and development,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement on Monday.
“Mr. Jonathan Trott expressed his pleasure on the extension of his contract and stated that he is looking forward to spending more time with the squad and building on the performances of the recently held Cricket World Cup 2023.”
The Afghanistan team is currently playing a three-match T20I series against the UAE, where the scoreline stands at 1-1. Trott’s next assignment as the team’s head coach will be the 3-match T20I series against India, starting January 11. This series comes in the lead up to the ICC T20 World Cup, that is scheduled to take place in June this year in West Indies and the USA.
Trott was appointed as Afghanistan’s head coach in July 2022. Under his coaching, the team won 8 out of the 23 ODIs, which included a maiden series win over Bangladesh. Afghanistan won 11 out of 26 T20Is, including their maiden series win over Pakistan.
