Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott, confidently stated that no team will ever underestimate Afghanistan again after their remarkable and resilient performance led to England’s exit from the Champions Trophy.
Ibrahim Zadran’s impressive score of 177 runs and Azmatullah Omarzai’s five-wicket haul overshadowed Joe Root’s century, securing a thrilling eight-run victory for Afghanistan against England on Wednesday. Looking forward to their crucial upcoming match against Australia, Trott expressed that Afghanistan will draw confidence from their strong performances against the Australian team in previous World Cup encounters.
“Since I became coach, we have played Australia three times and have been competitive in each match. We should definitely take confidence from that,” Trott mentioned during the post-match press conference.
He added, “And I believe, especially after our showings in the World Cup and T20 World Cup, and I consistently tell this to the players, that Afghanistan will never be underestimated again.”
“I anticipate every game we play to be competitive, and I approach each match with the expectation of winning,” the coach remarked.
Victories by Afghanistan against established Test cricket nations are no longer considered surprises. Their recent performances on the global stage mean they are a team to be reckoned with.
“Australia will not take us lightly,” Trott emphasized.
“Therefore, we must be prepared. Previously, teams might have viewed a match against us as less challenging compared to playing a historically strong Test nation. However, in this format and under these conditions, that’s no longer the case, in my opinion.” With two points from two games, Afghanistan remains in contention for the semifinals. A victory against Australia would raise their points to four, potentially placing them in the top two.
Australia currently has three points from two games after their match against South Africa was rained out. A loss for Afghanistan in their next game would mean elimination from the competition.
“I will ensure that when they wake up tomorrow, they savor tonight’s victory, but are also ready for Australia,” Trott told the media after the exciting win against England.
“As soon as they wake up tomorrow, the focus shifts to Australia.” Having witnessed Afghanistan’s ascent in cricket firsthand, Trott attributed their success to the team’s inherent self-belief and resilience forged through tough battles.
“They possess a natural resilience. If you combine that with increased cricketing experience and match awareness, particularly in batting and understanding how to pace an innings, it’s not always dependent on a single player.”
“We witnessed Ibrahim’s performance today, and we’ve seen Gurbaz perform similarly in the past. We also have Gulbadin, batting at number eight currently, who is capable of changing the course of a game,” he explained.
“This self-belief is crucial, originating from within, but it’s also contagious and spreads throughout the team.” Their upcoming clash with Australia has become a virtual knockout match, with the winner advancing to the semifinals and the loser exiting the tournament.
Trott hopes for significant fan support for his team on Friday.
“Hopefully, Friday’s game will be a complete sell-out, and people will come and watch us from two o’clock onwards, perhaps even take the day off work. I believe it would be fantastic for the team.”
“I think this is a valuable experience, and these players will never forget nights like this. We’ve had several memorable nights in ICC events and series before, and this will only enhance the confidence we will hopefully carry into Friday’s game,” he concluded.
