Jonathan Trott's Last Day As Afghanistan Head Coach Gets Rashid Khan Emotional

Jonathan Trott and Rashid Khan [Source: X]

Afghanistan had a disappointing outing in the T20 World Cup 2026, where they failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage despite being one of the favourites among the non-seeded teams. Notably, this came under the tenure of Jonathan Trott, who will step down from the national team following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.

This will mark the end of his three-plus-year contract, a tenure that saw remarkable changes under Rashid Khan’s captaincy. Rashid lauded and praised Jonathan Trott's contribution for raising the bar for the team, thanking him for putting the side on the right path and elevating the standards of Afghan cricket.

Afghanistan will face Canada in their final group-stage encounter of the T20 World Cup campaign, which will also mark the end of Jonathan Trott's stint with the team.

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Jonathan Trott’s Contribution to Afghanistan Cricket

Since his appointment in July 2022, Jonathan Trott has elevated the standards of Afghanistan cricket, making them one of the top-tier white-ball competitors.

Under Trott's leadership, Afghanistan became a giant killer and were guided to their first-ever World Cup semi-final appearance in 2024, highlighted by historic wins over Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier, in the ODI World Cup 2023, Afghanistan finished sixth, defeating teams like England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan also played the Champions Trophy under Trott, along with several bilateral series successes. Their first-ever bilateral ODI series win against South Africa came in September 2024.

Afghanistan also won ODI series against Bangladesh in 2023 and 2025, as well as a T20I series victory over Pakistan. Overall, Trott’s contribution went beyond that of a head coach, as the team’s mentality and transformation helped raise their standards on the global stage.

Rashid Khan Tributes Jonathan Trott

Speaking on Jonathan Trott's departure after their final game against Canada, Rashid Khan became emotional.

"We have a series against Sri Lanka straight after the World Cup and then the IPL. Tomorrow is Jonathan Trott's last game with us. We've had some unbelievable games and tours with him. He has been someone who has taken Afghanistan cricket to where it is now," Rashid said on the eve of the Canada clash.

"I think he has worked so hard with every single one. Definitely everyone around us will miss him so much. He played a main role in taking this team on the right way, right path," Rashid added.

Looking ahead, the captain admitted that the road would be challenging, with teams eager to defeat Afghanistan and prepare specific strategies against them. However, the main focus remains on the 50-over World Cup in 2027.

"We had a great 2023 World Cup, but we look forward to improving the things we didn't do well and keep improving each and every day," he added.

Jonathan Trott’s Career As a Coach

Jonathan Trott, a former England international cricketer, was one of the most dependable top-order batters of his era and retired from professional cricket in 2018 with over 3,800 runs in Tests and 2,800 runs in ODIs. Trott began his coaching career in 2020 when he was appointed as England’s batting coach for the Test series against Pakistan.

The following year, he worked as a consultant coach for Scotland during the T20 World Cup and later served as an assistant coach with Warwickshire. With three years of coaching experience, he was handed the responsibility of head coach of the Afghanistan men’s team.

In December 2024, he also took up the role of head coach for the Gulf Giants in the ILT20. Nevertheless, his contribution as a coach cannot be denied, as Afghanistan transformed from minnows into a fierce competitor capable of causing major upsets on the global stage.

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