(Image Source: B. Jothi Ramalingam)
[Saba Sports News] Jonathan Trott, former England batter and current Afghanistan head coach, acknowledges the excitement and rivalry in a Pakistan-Afghanistan cricket contest. However, he emphasizes the practicality of the task at hand, stating that every game in the World Cup is crucial, and no single match is more important than the others.
While Afghanistan has never beaten Pakistan in their seven ODIs, they have come close several times. Trott believes that their spin threat makes them competitive, and the upcoming match in Chennai could be an opportunity to end that winless streak. He expects an exciting game due to the nature of the rivalry and the teams’ mutual desire to win.
However, Trott warns against relying solely on spinners for victory, highlighting the need for batters to perform. He mentions the underperformance of key batters and the importance of the entire team contributing to success. Trott also emphasizes that fielding and catching improvements are necessary.
Regarding the toss and batting first, Trott states that the key is to put the opposition under pressure, regardless of the conditions. He believes that Afghanistan needs to start well, whether batting or bowling first, to achieve success in the tournament.