Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 journey has come to a dramatic end and with it, Jonathan Trott’s time as head coach has also come to an end. Jonathan Trott ended his three-and-a-half-year tenure on 19 February, when Afghanistan failed to make the Super 8 round of the ongoing competition.
Jonathan Trott’s 3.5-year Afghanistan journey ends as he misses Super 8 in T20 World Cup 2026
Rashid Khan and his team registered a massive 82-run win over Canada in their final group match, but defeats against New Zealand and South Africa had already put a damper on their campaign. That final group match proved to be Trott’s last game in charge.
Jonathan Trott took over as the head coach of Afghanistan in July 2022 and changed the mindset of the team. Under his leadership, the team finished sixth in the 2023 ODI World Cup and performed brilliantly in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. His work did not go unnoticed.
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Franchise teams showed immediate interest and he became the coach of Pretoria Capitals in South Africa’s SA20 League and Gulf Giants in the UAE’s International League T20 (IL20).
Take a break now, England later? Jonathan Trott keeps the future open
Now, with their Afghanistan chapter closed, discussions have begun about their next big move. Trott has long-term dreams and coaching England could be one of them. But he is currently planning to take a short break and see how the remaining matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka go.
However, Brendon McCullum is still leading the team but questions have been raised after recent struggles, including the recent Ashes defeat in Australia. England’s performance in the remaining matches of the T20 World Cup 2026 is likely to decide McCullum’s fate as coach across all formats.
Jonathan Trott told reporters in the post-match press conference, “I’m not going to let you put words in your mouth (on specific coaching choices). But, you know, I’ve really enjoyed it. I don’t know what the future holds. Maybe I’ll take a few days off and see how it goes. And I’m curious to see how the rest of the World Cup goes. I wish we were still here and able to play in the next round.”
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Jonathan Trott eyes England job after glorious stint in Afghanistan
He is proud of the way he handled his playing career and stressed that he always wanted England to be successful. The coach admitted his dream of coaching the England team one day. He also feels satisfied with the work done with Afghanistan over the past few years.
Trott said, “I’m very proud of the way I’ve played my career and I’ve always loved seeing the England team do well. Hopefully one day I’ll get the chance to coach a team that you love so much with your heart. There’s a lot of people I’m sure would love to do the job. So yes, we’ll have to see. But I just want to enjoy my coaching. And, you know, I’ve certainly enjoyed the last few years here.”
Notably, Trott, who was born in Cape Town, played 127 international matches for England from 2009 to 2015. He scored at an average of 44.08 in 52 Tests and over 51 in 68 ODIs. He won three Ashes series with England, including 2010–11 in Australia, and was also part of the 2011 World Cup squad.
