Afghanistan extend head coach's contract till 2025, who helped them make T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that Jonathan Trott will continue as the head coach of Afghanistan till 2025 as his contract has been extended. ACB's decision comes after Trott's successful two-and-a-half-year tenure, during which Afghanistan achieved big milestones, including victories over big cricketing nations like England and Pakistan in the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023.

Jonathan Trot's contract as Afghanistan head coach extended

Afghanistan's impressive performance in the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 led to their qualification for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, a historic achievement for the nation. The team's strong showing, which included victories against England and Pakistan, secured their spot among the top eight teams in the tournament.

Not just this, Afghanistan turned heads in T20 World Cup 2024 under Trot's coaching. In T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan won five matches against formidable opponents like New Zealand, Australia, and Bangladesh. This remarkable performance propelled them to the semifinals for the first time in their history.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Trott is currently with the Afghanistan A team, the AfghanAtalan, on a tour of Zimbabwe. The tour comprises three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Test matches. While Trott will be with the team for the ODI series, he will be unavailable for the T20I and Test matches due to personal commitments.

In Trott's absence, Hamid Hassan will assume the role of head coach. Nawroz Mangal, who recently guided the Afghan Abdalyan team to victory in the Emerging Asia Cup, will serve as the assistant head coach during the Zimbabwe tour.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe have announced their T20I and ODI squads for the series against Afghanistan which is set to start from December 11. Notably, young Ben Curran, the brother of star English cricketers Sam Curran and Tom Curran, has been included in Zimbabwe's ODI squad.

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Zimbabwe's ODI Squad:

 
Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Joylord Gumbie, Trevor Gwandu, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.

Zimbabwe's T20I Squad:

Sikandar Raza (c), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Trevor Gwandu, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Wessly Madhevere, Tinotenda Maposa, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tashinga Musekiwa, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri.