Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has decided to part ways with their head coach, Jonathan Trott, after the end of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. They announced the decision on Monday, stating that it would be a long-term strategic decision for the next phase of the national team’s growth. During his tenure, the Asian side earned incredible success in both white-ball formats of the game.

Afghanistan narrowly missed out on the chance to qualify for the semifinal of the 2023 World Cup, finishing sixth on the points table, having defeated some strong sides like England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the competition. They were even more clinical in the T20 World Cup 2024, qualifying for the semifinal stage for the first time with victories over New Zealand, Australia, and Bangladesh.

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“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.” Head coach Trott spoke on his tenure.

Jonathan Trott to end his Afghanistan head coach tenure post T20 World Cup 2026

Under Rashid Khan and Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan featured in the away ODI and T20I series against Zimbabwe before shifting their focus to another series. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO, Naseeb Khan, added that the decision has been part of the broader vision beyond 2026.

“Jonathan has played an important role in our journey, helping our players grow in confidence and compete against the world's strongest sides. As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, this transition is part of our broader plan to take Afghanistan cricket to its next level.”- The ACB CEO addressed.

“On behalf of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, I extend our sincere gratitude to Jonathan Trott for his dedicated service and the professionalism he brought to our national team. His efforts have supported a crucial period in the development of Afghanistan cricket, and we wish him every success in his future endeavors.” The ACB chairman, Mirwais Ashraf, shed light.

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott expressed his disappointment following his team’s defeat against Sri Lanka in Match 11 of the Asia Cup 2025. The Rashid Khan-led side lost a do-or-die encounter by six wickets, ending their campaign in the continental tournament. Trott, a former English batter, praised Mohammad Nabi and the batting lineup for posting a competitive total but stressed that mistakes in bowling and fielding cost the team dearly.

“It was a very disappointing loss and a hard one to swallow. We felt we were in a good position, especially after Nabi’s heroics helped us reach 170 [169]. The batters actually played well, but we let them off with our bowling and fielding,” Trott told India Today. He emphasized that Afghanistan’s inability to start strongly with the ball gave Sri Lanka an early advantage in the match.

Trott also acknowledged the opposition’s achievement, noting that Sri Lanka became the second team from Group B to advance to the Super Four stage. “We didn’t start well in the powerplay with the ball and gave them an early advantage. Too many basic errors, whether in batting, bowling, or fielding cost us. You don’t win games at cricket, certainly in tournaments like this with those mistakes. Full credit to Bangladesh, who go through along with Sri Lanka,” he added.

Nabi’s Late Blitz Not Enough as Sri Lanka Prevails

Afghanistan decided to bat first and made 169 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their 20 overs. Besides that, Nabi (60* off 22) made the innings explosive, scoring five sixes in the last over of the innings. His innings could not prevent Sri Lanka from winning. Kusal Mendis (74* off 52) and Kamindu Mendis (26* off 13) played a leading role in scoring the runs and led the team to an easy victory.

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On the bowling side of the game, Nuwan Thushara was tremendous for Sri Lanka as he picked up four wickets (4/18 in four overs), while Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Noor Ahmad conceded 117 runs in 9.4 overs. With Sri Lanka's stronger powerplay of 53/2 in the first six overs, it seemed to set the standard for the chase, as well as expose the failings of Afghanistan in all three departments.

Shubman Gill, the captain of India, displayed a fierce attitude on Day 3 of the third Test at Lord's, when he accused the England opener Zak Crawley of wasting time. Crawley went down clutching his hand towards the end of the day, and Gill didn't like this and burst into the England batter's face and gave him some word action as well. The tense moment escalated, prompting Ben Duckett to step in and calm things down as tempers flared during the final over.

Reacting to the incident, former England batter Jonathan Trott offered sharp criticism of Gill’s behavior, drawing comparisons to ex-India captain Virat Kohli. In a chat with broadcaster JioStar, Trott said, “A little bit of gamesmanship—and for me, we don't know what went on when England was fielding, whether they were dishing it out. But I didn't like the acting from Shubman Gill. As a captain, you set the tone, and as I have said before, pointing fingers and getting confrontational feels reminiscent of a previous captain, who used to get in the opposition's face. That is not what the game should be about.”

Trott acknowledged the competitiveness of Test cricket but urged players, especially captains, to maintain composure. “I am all for being competitive and tough on the field, but sometimes you have got to rise above it,” he said. Still, the former England player admitted the drama adds spice to the contest: “That said, it certainly sets up a fascinating day tomorrow.”

Praise for Rahul and Pant; Warning Ahead of Day 4

Shifting focus to the cricketing action, Trott lauded KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for their impressive performances in the first innings. “Just the way they put the bad balls away—it was impressive… they knew how to defend, played good, solid shots, and picked up singles when available. But the key was putting away the bad deliveries,” he noted, calling them quality players who know how to weather pressure.

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Looking ahead to Day 4, Trott emphasized the importance of surviving the new ball spell from Jasprit Bumrah. “England will have to see off the new ball early… They must ensure Bumrah doesn't get into a rhythm—playing straight and tight will be key,” he warned. Trott noted the weather was expected to be fine and predicted a full day of high-stakes cricket, adding that England would need clear plans to counter some of the threats from India’s bowling attack.