At no time did we think we were running away with the game: Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott on 'significant' 2023 World Cup thumping over England
Former England batter Jonathan Trott came up against his compatriots as a coach of the Afghanistan team and helped them beat Jos Buttler and company in a rather comprehensive way — by 69 runs in Delhi during the 2023 World Cup on Sunday, October 15.
Trott accepted that by setting a target of 285, the Afghans had certainly not batted England out of the game. However, he praised the efforts of the bowlers to not only make a match out of it but also to dominate the opponents on the field.
Here's what Jonathan Trott had to say to reporters after Afghanistan's famous win (via icc-cricket.com):
"This is significant, certainly in the manner and by the margin as well. And the way that they played, at no time really, I think when we were batting, did we think we were running away with the game? We thought we had a decent total, but we had to bowl well and field well and the guys did that."
He further added:
"So, I think it's very pleasing and there's a lot of confidence that will hopefully come from this when competing against the bigger nations and it'll have a knock-on effect to all the other games, but not only in this World Cup, but for the future as well. Just what Afghanistan cricket can achieve."
Jonathan Trott wants Afghanistan to focus on next game
While Jonathan Trott understands that Afghanistan will be over the moon to have beaten the defending champions, he wants them to quickly focus on the task at hand as there are still quite a few games left to play.
On this, he said:
"I think it'll take a while or hopefully it takes a little bit that sinks in pretty quickly because we've got to move on quite quickly as well. We got a game in Chennai in three days. But I think it's important that the guys enjoy it but also take stock and realise when they get a certain amount of things right in the 50 overs or the 100 overs completely, what they can achieve, and the level of team that they can put under pressure and compete with and win cricket matches."
The Afghans will be brimming with confidence after what was just their second ODI World Cup win, and will now face New Zealand in Chennai on October 18.