'They are not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.'
Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott, who faces a must-win clash against Bangladesh in their Group B match at Abu Dhabi in order to qualify for Super Four, believes that his side starts as favourites with their recent success against their opponents.
Having reached the Super Four stage in the 2022 Asia Cup, Afghanistan are a much-improved white-ball side, with a sixth-place finish in 2023 50-over World Cup in India with wins over defending champions England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and a semi-final run to ICC T20 World Cup with wins over Australia and New Zealand.
In recent two years or so, Afghans have had success against Bangladesh as well, beating them in a 50-overs series in 2023 at Bangladesh's own territory and securing a thrilling eight-run win over them in the T20 World Cup's Super 8s stage last year, which helped them reach the semifinals.
"Since I have been with the side, we have had some memorable moments. I think back to when we beat Bangladesh in a 50-over series in Bangladesh for the first time (in 2023). It had never been done before, and given how strong Bangladesh have been at home, to go there and do that gave us a lot of confidence and positivity," Trott was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying,
"Then there was the win in St Vincent at the 2024 T20 World Cup, which helped us qualify for the semi-final. That was such a tight, historic game, and it gave us great belief. This group I'm currently working with is not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground," he added.
Trott said that when this Afghanistan side sees something never done before or a big obstacle in their way, they rise to the occasion.
"They are not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries," he added.
Afghanistan kick-started their Asia Cup with a comfortable 94-run win over Hong Kong on September 9 and have enjoyed six days off. The break, Trott admitted, has "helped them refresh mentally and physically" after a gruelling tri-nation series against UAE and Pakistan, where they played five matches in 10 days and lost to Pakistan in the finals.
"I am actually quite happy with the break. Playing in the extreme heat here in the UAE takes a lot out of you. It is been a good chance to recharge the batteries, take stock of where we are, and get ready to go again. Hopefully, with a win and qualification into the next round, we know there will be quite a few games in a short space of time," said the coach.
Trott also spoke on the side's spinners, jokingly saying that the side was good enough to field a whole playing XI of spinners if need arose. With Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed as frontline options, along with veteran Mohammed Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Sharafuddin Ashraf in the team, there is no shortage of spinners. But the coach feels that it is not a given that Afghans would do well just because of their spin attack.
"We saw during the triangular series that just because the ball is spinning, it does not automatically mean we are going to win games. We still have to do everything else well, and I stress that. Yes, our spinners have played a lot of franchise cricket and plenty of international T20 and ODI cricket, but we have got to be consistent across all departments. That is why we work so hard as a side," he said.
"Right now, we have a great opportunity with the Asia Cup. Looking a bit further ahead, with the World Cup coming up in February, we have good memories of playing in the subcontinent - in Sri Lanka and India. It can be tempting to look too far ahead, but for now, Bangladesh is at the forefront of everyone's mind, and we are focused on winning that game," he concluded.
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