It’s a Sunday afternoon at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and Jonathan Trott is one of the first to step onto the field to inspect the wicket. The head coach of Afghanistan walks around, adjusts his red cap, and takes a closer look at the surface before asking his assistant coaches to bring out the whiteboard and place it near one of the rollers.
Trott and his coaching staff write the schedule for the day and clarify things for the players. Over the next few minutes, the Afghanistan cricketers, regardless of their seniority, approach the board, examine their assignments and batting positions for the day, and slowly get down to business.
PODCAST | Beyond the four teams who have qualified for the knockouts, the World Cup has seen drama, ambition and stutters from the rest of the playing field. In this episode, Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan is joined by Pranay Rajiv, Dhruva Prasad and Mayank to dissect the ODI World Cup campaigns of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England and the Netherlands.
It has been the norm for the Afghan Atalan, as the team is affectionately known by fans, in the ongoing World Cup. The management has focused on discipline, creating a happy space in the dressing room, and allowing players to express themselves. The results are showing as well. With four victories, including those against England and Pakistan, the side has eight points and is alive in the semifinal race despite a crushing defeat against Australia. However, this transformation did not happen overnight.
According to Trott, the former England batter who took charge of the team in July last year, there wasn’t just one specific thing that led to their recent success. Over the past 16 months, he has been working to improve various aspects. This was no easy feat, given the challenges the team faced in the wake of a Taliban takeover back home, an economic crisis, an uncertain future, and numerous defeats.
“What you are seeing now is a side that has more confidence after the win against England. There’s a lot of self-belief about their talent, methods, and confidence in beating Test-playing nations and more historic sides,” Trott says.
In the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, Afghanistan finished at the bottom of the points table.
“ Hum khule dil se khelte hain (We play with freedom). We have nothing to lose,” says Gulbadin Naib, who led Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup. At the time, there was conflict between selectors and players, which played a role in their last-place ranking. However, this time around, Naib, who is with the team on tour, is pleased to see a much more energetic performance. “We don’t have a huge history of the game, but we learned from every mistake. In the 2019 World Cup, we lost quite a few close games — against Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Back then, we could not finish a game and lost the plot in key moments, but now, we don’t let that happen,” Naib says.
Overseeing transformation: Jonathan Trott has been influential in charting Afghanistan’s ascent in international cricket ever since he replaced Graham Thorpe as the head coach in 2022. | Photo Credit: Gareth Copley
In Leeds four years ago, Naib bowled the crucial final over as Afghanistan attempted to defend 227 against Pakistan. It was a nail-biting finish in the end, with Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz securing the win for Pakistan with just two balls to spare. One of the most thrilling games of the 2019 tournament resulted in a heartbreaking loss for Afghanistan.
“Taking lessons from those defeats, for us, the last four years were about identifying our weaknesses and turning them into strengths, and the result is quite visible.”
In their recent match in Chennai, Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah showcased their batting skills and led their team to a convincing eight-wicket victory over Pakistan. After the match, the players walked around the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium and expressed their gratitude for all the crowd support. Their performance once again vindicated their ‘dream chasers’ tag.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucknow served as Afghanistan’s ‘home’ for cricket. However, the pandemic brought financial challenges. In August 2021, the Taliban’s takeover further complicated matters, leading to a shift away from India as home base. Additionally, changes in the Afghanistan Cricket Board and coaching staff occurred. Lance Klusener was replaced by Graham Thorpe, who, unfortunately, couldn’t take the position due to illness, eventually paving the way for Trott.
Picture perfect: Rashid Khan has been the face of Afghanistan cricket for close to a decade. Here, he can be seen celebrating his team’s win over Pakistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup. | Photo Credit: PTI
The team then relocated to the United Arab Emirates. After showing promise in events like the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, the focus shifted to the ODI World Cup. Drawing from their previous experiences in India and with the addition of coaching talents like Milap Mewada and mentor Ajay Jadeja, Afghanistan prepared for the tournament.
“We worked a lot for this moment over the last one and a half years. We knew that since the World Cup would be in India, the conditions would be ideal for our batters and spinners. So, it was about doing something special, and we did that,” says assistant coach and former Afghan cricketer Raees Ahmadzai.
Since August 2021, Afghanistan has featured in 30 ODIs, losing 14 and one yielding no result. Around the same time, India featured in 53 ODIs, while Australia’s tally was 35. While Afghanistan played India, Australia, and New Zealand just once in this span—all in the World Cup—most of its ODI outings were against Bangladesh (nine games) and Sri Lanka (eight games).
Despite initial setbacks—defeats against Bangladesh in February 2022 — domestic cricket events — the Shpageeza League and Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade Tournament — have been held regularly, the last one being in March this year, where 10 teams participated. Though not many star players featured in it due to international commitments, several youngsters showed their mettle.
“Our domestic structure has improved, but going forward, we need lots of international matches against strong teams. If we play more, we will be counted as one of the favourites, at least in Asian conditions,” says Ahmadzai.
“This is the third time we played against England, while with Pakistan, it was our seventh outing. We played New Zealand for the third time, so if we get to play them more, we will only get better.”
In recent years, Afghanistan has largely relied on its star spinners, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. However, in this World Cup, the batters have taken on a more significant role. In the 2019 edition, a total of seven players were tried out in top-three positions for nine games, and they collectively made 648 at an average of 24. This time around, only three players have been tried in the top three, scoring 730 in seven outings at an average of 36.50.
Ahmadzai, coming from a time when Afghan cricketers had limited facilities in Kabul and mainly trained in Peshawar, acknowledges the significance of their World Cup success and attributes it to Trott.
“He is like us — a true fighter. He has the same mentality as an Afghan, and he’s a tough guy who does not like excuses. And it’s the same with us—we don’t care whether it’s a good pitch or a bad pitch. We are here to win and show the world what we can do,” Ahmadzai says.
Trott concurs with a smile: “Losing isn’t a great experience. We are not here to make up for the numbers, make experiences, etcetera, etcetera... We are here to win, and from winning, you get experiences.”
According to wicketkeeper-batter Ikram Alikhil, Trott and Jadeja are a constant source of motivation. “It’s not just about one game. At every moment, the coach (Trott) and Ajay (sir) boost our morale. Even in tricky situations, they tell us, ‘Don’t worry, chase ho jayega’. They guide us on how to assess conditions, apply our minds, and never lose hope,” says Alikhil.
“The vibe in the dressing room is always positive, and that inspires all of us. While the seniors like [Mohammad]Nabi and Rashid are always there to help us, throughout the tournament, the coaches have always backed us through thick and thin.”
The journey thus far has been a monumental one with Afghanistan also qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy for the first time. Ahmadzai acknowledges the role played by the Indian Premier League (IPL) in this transformation. “Playing in the IPL and other leagues has boosted the confidence of the players, and we are reaping the benefits now,” he says. “For instance, Noor (Ahmad) was with me at the U-19 level, but after the IPL stint with the Gujarat Titans, he’s a different person. He looks very mature. So, these tournaments have not only given our players experience but have also boosted their confidence.”
This is likely one of the reasons Alikhil is optimistic about chasing down a tall total even when the team is five wickets down. “That’s how we have been in this tournament. Earlier, our wins would often be termed upsets, but we have shown the world that we can win regularly against big teams. We know that if we can improve our game, it will inspire the next generation, and that’s our aim,” he says with a smile, “ Hum kar payenge (We can do it)…”
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