Trott hits out at ACB (Source: @CricCrazyJohns/x.com)
Despite being a late bloomer in the cricket world, Afghanistan stunned the cricket world with their unreal grit and success. Behind this transformation stands head coach Jonathan Trott, the quiet architect whose guidance has turned raw passion into world-stage success.
Even after shaping Afghanistan into a fearless force, head coach Jonathan Trott recently voiced frustration over the Afghanistan Cricket Board's poor communication. Reflecting on this, he hinted at his possible departure from the role.
Trott fires shots at ACB
With a remarkable rise in the cricket world, Afghanistan cricket has proved that no obstacles are too big if the aim is clear. After head coach Jonathan Trott took the helm of the side, Afghanistan delivered some outstanding performances on the global stage, and cricket discovered some of the unreal talents from the nation. In the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20I World Cup, Afghanistan's dominance stunned fans.
Amidst all their success in the past few years, head coach Trott remained the silent pillar of the side, but things took a different turn recently. Following their one-off Test loss to Zimbabwe, Trott broke his silence, revealing strains with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and pointing to poor communication as the root of the rift, as reported by Sportscast.
“The sad thing for me is that I haven’t been able to have any input on the squad. I haven’t had any communication with the top management of the ACB or with the chief selector. I’ve been trying to get hold of them for the last couple of weeks,” Trott said.
"I have also been trying to reach the chairman, but I haven’t received any response or feedback on the selection process. This lack of communication hasn’t just affected this squad, but also the previous few squads since the Asia Cup didn’t go our way. There has been no meaningful contact at all,” he added.
Is Trott’s time with Afghanistan nearing its end?
Trott’s entry into the Afghanistan team was a revolutionary step, but the ongoing rift between the board and head coach is hinting at his exit. When asked about his future, he remained composed, saying he's focused on guiding the team through upcoming fixtures under his contract until the 2026 World Cup.
“Well, I don’t know. I would like to open up communication with the board. I have been told that my tenure runs until the T20 World Cup, which is only a couple more months away. After that, I will need to assess whether the job description or responsibilities of the head coach have changed,” Trott said.
In the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, Afghanistan had a massive heartbreak as the hosts defeated them by an enormous margin of an innings and 79 runs. As the three-match T20I series against them approaches, the Afghan force will look for a major turnaround.
