Following Afghanistan's final match of T20 World Cup 2026, head coach Jonathan Trott officially announced his departure from the role. During a post-match press conference held after his side's victory over Canada, Trott took a moment to reflect on his transformative tenure with the squad. Despite the win, the atmosphere was bittersweet, as the team narrowly failed to secure a spot in the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Trott's eyes welled up with tears after his stint as Afghanistan's head coach ends
The briefing became deeply emotional as Trott addressed his three-and-a-half-year journey with the national side. While attempting to describe his experience and his role in the team's growth, the former England batter was overcome with emotion and broke down in tears. For a brief moment, he was unable to speak as he grappled with the finality of his departure.
However, Trott quickly regained his composure to finish the session. He spent the remainder of the interaction praising his players and the progress they made under his leadership, marking a poignant end to one of the most successful coaching stints in the history of Afghanistan cricket.
“Well, I just think, and I could sit here and tell you so many stories of things that I've seen with my own eyes, but in the talent, yes - I said I didn't want to get upset. I just remember my first trip when we were in Ireland, and I saw things that made me realise these boys are so talented and focused. And if you just us to add a little bit of structure to the mindset, professionalism, and the high standards that we hold ourselves to, not individuals, but we hold each other to those high standards and professionalism,” Trott said at the post-match press conference.
“I remember seeing Ibra (Ibrahim Zadran) for the first time, I remember seeing Azmat (Azmatullah Omarzai) for the first time, I remember seeing Gurbaz (Rahmanullah Gurbaz) for the first time and thinking, what amazing players. Let's try and build on what we've got, this natural raw talent. Cool, thanks. And let's see where we can get to. We had the names Mujeeb, Nabi, Rashid, all these guys. But it's just one of those things. And I remember how chaotic that first tour was, and where we are now is chalk and cheese. The players need so much credit for the level they operate at, the advantages they're afforded as youngsters to develop their skills and their passion for the game,” he added.
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The victory over Canada marked Afghanistan's second win of the tournament, but it wasn't enough to overcome earlier setbacks. Losses to New Zealand and South Africa ultimately stalled their momentum, resulting in the team's elimination before the Super Eight stage.
This match served as the final chapter of Jonathan Trott’s impressive tenure. Under his leadership, Afghanistan experienced a period of unprecedented success and consistency, highlighted most notably by their historic run to the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.