After the disappointing campaign of T20 World Cup 2026, Afghanistan has made a big change. On 24 February, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officially announced Richard Pybus as the new head coach of the Afghanistan national cricket team.
Richard Pybus joins Afghanistan as head coach
Richard Pybus replaces Jonathan Trott, who has led the team for the past four years. Trott helped Afghanistan go from strength to strength in international cricket, but after the team lost in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the ACB decided to move forward with a new vision.
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This former England bowler brings with him a lot of experience. He has won the ICC Cricket World Cup three times as a head coach and director of cricket. He has vast experience at the top level and has a strong history of building successful and well-organized cricket systems.
The ACB said in an official media release: “The Afghanistan Cricket Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Pybus as the head coach of the Afghanistan national team. He will join AfghanAtlan ahead of the upcoming white ball series against Sri Lanka in March. The Afghanistan Cricket Board warmly welcomes Richard Pybus and wishes him every success in his new role as head coach of the Afghanistan national team.”
Who is Richard Pybus?
Meanwhile, Richard Pybus is a globally recognized coach, despite playing only one List A match for England’s Suffolk in 1986. Injuries did not help him make a name for himself as a fast bowler, but Pybus established himself as one of the game’s most successful coaches ever.
He was part of Pakistan’s coaching staff during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, where the Men in Green lost the trophy to Australia. This tenure gave him valuable experience in handling pressure at the highest level. He served with the Pakistan team in four different stints.
In 2016, Pybus joined the West Indies team as director of cricket. During his tenure, the West Indies won the ICC T20 World Cups – both men’s and women’s – as well as the U19 World Cup trophy. This was his most successful tenure at the highest level.
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Not only this, Pybus, who had also applied for the role of India head coach in 2017, returned as West Indies’ high-performance director. In 2019, he also served as the interim head coach of the senior team. In 2012, his tenure as head coach of Bangladesh was short and controversial.
Powerful Profile of Richard Pybus
Additionally, Pybus played a key role in the development of Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and South Africa’s Faf du Plessis and Imran Tahir. One of their biggest success stories is Dale Steyn. Pybus worked with the former South African fast bowler and helped him develop into one of the most dangerous and respected bowlers in the world.
Not only that, Pybus is also highly educated and deeply involved in performance science. In 2022, he earned a Doctorate in Professional Practice from Middlesex University in London. His research focused on “optimal performance systems”.
This system is designed to help teams and individuals perform at their best again and again, even under pressure and in different cultures. In addition, Pybus is a Level Four CSA Certified Coach, one of the highest coaching qualifications in South Africa.
Pybus also holds an executive coaching certificate from the NeuroLeadership Institute. He also won the South African Cricket Coach of the Year award twice.
