The Afghanistan Cricket Board has officially confirmed that former England batsman Jonathan Trott’s tenure as head coach will end after the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka in February next year. Trott will end his tenure as the board prepares to make changes to the coaching staff.
Afghanistan, who had a disappointing campaign in the Asia Cup, cleaned up the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe. The visiting team made a strong comeback to establish its dominance after losing the only Test. They won by 9 runs in the 3rd T20I at Harare Sports Club on Sunday, 2 November.
Jonathan Trott to step down as head coach after ICC T20 World Cup 2026
The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed that Jonathan Trott will step down as head coach after the ICC T20 World Cup in 2026. The board took this decision as “part of ACB’s long-term strategic plan for the next phase of the national team’s development”.
Trott, who takes charge in 2022, has worked closely with the players over the past few years and has helped enhance Afghanistan’s stability and competitiveness on the world stage.
During his tenure, Afghanistan achieved some of its most memorable achievements. The team has won against several top-ranked teams and made significant progress in major ICC events.
They finished sixth in the 2023 ODI World Cup after registering wins over England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan qualified for the semi-finals for the first time in the 2024 T20 World Cup. They recorded wins over New Zealand, Australia and Bangladesh before losing to South Africa in the semi-finals.
I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together – Jonathan Trott
Jonathan Trott said he admired the Afghanistan team’s determination and willingness to move forward. Trott said he would continue to support Afghan cricket after his departure and wished both the players and the country success in the future.
“It has been a privilege to work with the Afghanistan national team and witness their passion, resilience and hunger to achieve greatness,” Trott said.
He said, “I am proud of what we have achieved together and I will always be a supporter of Afghan cricket. I wish the team and the Afghan people continued success in the years to come.”
Jonathan has played a vital role in our journey – CEO of Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Naseeb Khan said that Trott’s departure was part of the board’s long-term roadmap for the team. He acknowledged that Trott helped strengthen the team’s confidence and competitiveness against top international teams.
Naseeb Khan said, “Jonathan has played a vital role in our journey, helping our players build confidence and compete against the strongest teams in the world. As we look to 2026 and beyond, this change is part of our wider plan to take Afghanistan cricket to the next level.”
ACB Chairman Mirwaiz Ashraf said, “On behalf of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, I express our heartfelt gratitude to Jonathan Trott for his dedicated service and the professionalism he has brought to our national team. His efforts have supported an important period in the development of Afghanistan cricket, and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.”
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