Jonathan Trott Reveals Afghanistan's Chasing Struggles Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Afghanistan's head coach Jonathan Trott has candidly acknowledged that his team needs to significantly improve their ability to chase targets in T20 cricket as they gear up for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Series Victory Masks Underlying Concerns

Afghanistan recently concluded their final phase of World Cup preparations with a 2-1 series victory against West Indies in Dubai. However, a closer look at the results reveals a telling pattern – both of Afghanistan's wins came when they batted first.

This trend isn't new for the Asian side. Since the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, Afghanistan have played 21 T20Is and have batted first on 15 occasions. The statistics paint a concerning picture: of the six matches where they were required to chase, they emerged victorious in only two, while 10 of their wins came when setting targets.

Trott's Honest Assessment

"When you have the quality of bowlers that we do, when you're setting a target and defending it, your percentages are probably going to be a little bit better."

Trott explained following the third T20I loss to West Indies.

The experienced coach was forthright about the team's decision-making in that final match:

"But yeah, I do think we need to improve [while chasing], and that's why we decided to chase today. It was a good game and showed a few things and areas where we need to be better."

Adapting to Day-Night Challenges

While the West Indies series was played under lights in Dubai, Afghanistan face a different challenge at the World Cup. Three of their four group stage matches are scheduled for 11:00 AM local time starts.

Trott, however, remains unfazed by this scheduling quirk and has outlined the team's adaptation strategy.

"We've got quite a few day games as well and that's why we're here (in Dubai). We've got another week here practicing at similar times and practice matches at similar times."

He added:

"And then we've got day games for our warm-up games when we're in India on the 2nd and the 4th, so we'll be well-prepared for the 8th in Chennai. There's been no dew here (in Dubai) as well, so that's been fine whether it's under lights. But now we're changing our body clocks and we'll be getting onto morning times for India."

Navigating the Naveen-ul-Haq Setback

One significant blow to Afghanistan's World Cup hopes has been the injury to pace bowler Naveen-ul-Haq. Trott acknowledged the loss but expressed confidence in the replacement options.

"We've called Zia-ur-Rehman Sharafi in, and he's bowled really well in the games – maybe a little bit expensive today – but there's a lot of talent there and a lot to work with."

The coach emphasized the opportunity this presents:

"Obviously, Naveen's injured, and that's unfortunate, but somebody else has got to take his place and step up. Hopefully, Zia is the guy for that."

Squad Rotation and Final Preparations

Trott also revealed that the team management rested several players during the final T20I against West Indies, prioritizing opportunities for fringe players ahead of the tournament.

"We rested a few players today as well, so we wanted to give an opportunity to some other people. On tonight's result and today's performance, there's always a little bit of work to be done."

Looking Ahead to the T20 World Cup

Afghanistan will be hoping their strong bowling attack, which has been the backbone of their success when defending totals, can complement an improved batting performance in chase situations. With warm-up matches scheduled for January 2nd and 4th in India before their first group game on January 8th in Chennai, the team has limited time to address these concerns.

The coming weeks will be crucial for Trott and his squad as they look to fine-tune their game plan and prove they can handle the pressure of chasing under World Cup conditions.