Cricket

Pretoria Capitals, the South African franchise in the SA20 league, have bolstered their squad for the 2025 season by signing Afghanistan's explosive wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The 22-year-old will reunite with Jonathan Trott, who was recently appointed as Capitals' head coach after guiding Afghanistan to their maiden World Cup semi-final earlier this year.Gurbaz, a T20 globetrotter, brings a wealth of experience to the Capitals. He has played for various franchises around the world, including the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, where he scored 146 runs in eight innings. He also has IPL experience, having won the title with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023.Gurbaz's T20I form is equally impressive. He was the leading run-scorer in the 2024 T20 World Cup, amassing 281 runs in eight innings at an average of 35.12 and a strike rate of 124.33. His aggressive batting style and ability to clear the boundary with ease make him a valuable asset to any team.Gurbaz will join a star-studded Capitals squad that includes Wayne Parnell, Will Jacks, Rilee Rossouw, Jimmy Neesham, Anrich Nortje, and Ollie Pope. With such a formidable lineup, the Capitals will be among the favorites to lift the SA20 trophy in 2025.

The England cricket team is reportedly considering a major shake-up in its coaching department, with the departure of current white-ball head coach Matthew Mott expected next week. As England seeks to regain its dominance in limited-overs cricket, it is eyeing a high-profile addition to its coaching staff.Despite a disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup and failure to reach the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup, England is reportedly set to retain Jos Buttler as captain. However, Buttler's Rajasthan Royals boss, Kumar Sangakkara, has emerged as a leading candidate for the head coach role.According to The Telegraph UK, Sangakkara is among the favorites to replace Mott. The former Sri Lankan captain has served as Director of Cricket for Rajasthan Royals since 2021, guiding the franchise to the IPL final during his tenure.Buttler has flourished under Sangakkara's leadership at the Royals, and their familiarity could foster a strong bond at the helm of the England team. Other candidates reportedly in the running include former Australia batsman Michael Hussey and Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott.Trott has led Afghanistan to significant achievements during his one-and-a-half-year tenure, including sixth place in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Hussey, meanwhile, is already familiar with the English dressing room, having served as their batting coach from 2022 to 2023.Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is reportedly unlikely to remain in contention for the head coach role. England has enjoyed success and adopted an aggressive approach in Test cricket under the coaching of Brendon McCullum. The new appointment will aim to replicate that success in white-ball cricket and restore England to the top of the limited-overs rankings.

Jonathan Trott, the former England batsman, has been appointed as the new head coach of the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, replacing Graham Ford. Trott, who is currently the head coach of Afghanistan, will take over the reins of the Capitals ahead of the 2025 season.Trott's appointment comes after a successful stint with Afghanistan, where he has overseen a significant improvement in the team's results. Under his guidance, Afghanistan has defeated top teams like Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Bangladesh in global events. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2024 T20I World Cup, losing to South Africa.The Capitals, on the other hand, have had a disappointing second season in the SA20, winning only three matches and finishing fifth. They were losing finalists in the competition's first edition in 2023 after topping the table.Trott's appointment is part of a broader shake-up at the Capitals, which also saw the departure of Ricky Ponting as head coach. Ponting had been with the Delhi franchise for seven years.Trott's decision to join the Capitals raises questions about his future with Afghanistan. His contract with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is due to expire in December, and it is unclear whether he will renew it.If Trott does not renew his contract with the ACB, he could be in contention for the England limited-overs job. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to make a decision on the future of incumbent head coach Matthew Mott in the coming days.Trott, who earned 127 caps for England, has previously coached on the pathway, both for the Under-19 and Lions teams. He is highly regarded as a coach and his appointment by the Capitals is a major coup for the franchise.

Afghanistan's historic journey in the T20 World Cup 2024 culminated in a bittersweet semi-final defeat to South Africa. Despite securing their maiden semi-final berth, the Afghan team expressed disappointment and a determination to improve.Head coach Jonathan Trott acknowledged the challenges of playing back-to-back matches with limited rest, but emphasized that it was not an excuse for their performance. He praised the team's resilience and fighting spirit throughout the tournament, but admitted that they were outplayed in the semi-final.Trott highlighted the need for the batters to learn from the experience and develop strategies for playing on difficult pitches against strong bowling attacks. He emphasized that the team's overall achievement should not be overshadowed by the semi-final defeat, but that it should serve as a catalyst for improvement.The Afghan players expressed a sense of hurt and disappointment after the loss. They acknowledged the sacrifices made by the entire team and felt that they had not given a good account of themselves. However, they remained proud of their accomplishments and vowed to work on their weaknesses.Trott emphasized the importance of identifying reliable batters who can consistently deliver in pressure situations. He expressed confidence that the team could become more competitive in the future by addressing these areas of improvement.

Afghanistan's lack of historical baggage gives them an edge over South Africa in the T20 World Cup semi-final, believes coach Jonathan Trott.Afghanistan, making their first-ever appearance in the last four of any World Cup, stand in stark contrast to South Africa, who have a long history of near misses and disappointments in major tournaments.Trott believes that Afghanistan's lack of past scars makes them a dangerous and unpredictable opponent. "We go into the semi-final with no scarring or no history with regards to semi-finals. This is uncharted territory for us," Trott said.He added that the Afghan team has no "preconceived ideas on it all, or history of failure or success in semi-finals in past years." This lack of historical burden is perceived as a significant advantage.According to Trott, this position frees the team to approach the game with nothing to lose, contrasting with the high pressure on South Africa.South Africa has had the upper hand in their meetings with Afghanistan in T20Is, with victories in their two past matches in the 2010 T20 World Cup in Barbados and in Mumbai six years later.However, South Africa's path through the current World Cup has not been without drama. Despite winning all seven of their games, they have faced near-embarrassments against the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Their Super Eights victory over defending champions England by a narrow seven-run margin also added to their tense moments.On the other side, Afghanistan's journey included a defeat by India but was followed by a landmark victory over Australia and a tight eight-run win against Bangladesh that secured their semi-final spot.Trott described the experience of leading Afghanistan to the semi-finals as "surreal." He has developed a strong bond with the team since taking over as coach in July 2022. This relationship was evident when, after the rain-affected win against Bangladesh, Trott was carried off the field on his players' shoulders."When I took over, I was astounded by the talent that I saw," Trott said. He acknowledged the raw talent within the team and has aimed to add structure without limiting the players' natural abilities."I've just tried to add here and there. At no stage have I tried to clip anybody's wings. I'm just trying to make the bow of the arrow even stronger so that they can go for longer, win more games, and shoot for the stars even further away," Trott remarked.As the semi-final approaches, Trott's approach and the team's fresh mindset leave Afghanistan positioned as a formidable contender against the more historically burdened South Africa.

Afghanistan's head coach, Jonathan Trott, exudes confidence ahead of his team's Super 8 clash against India in Bridgetown on Thursday. Trott believes that day games favor Afghanistan, and he is eager to face the formidable Indian squad.Afghanistan has impressed in the tournament so far, winning three of their four league games. Their only defeat came against West Indies. Trott dismisses the notion of Afghanistan being underdogs, emphasizing their progress and strong performances."We've had a lot of players playing a lot of T20 cricket around the world," Trott said. "It's about putting that together as a side. In the past, we've had some good individual players, but we need all those players playing together as a side."Traditionally known for their spin bowling, Afghanistan has showcased a more balanced attack in this tournament. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi has emerged as a standout performer, leading the tournament in wickets."We've got a lot of spinners with experience in T20 cricket," Trott said. "But one of our seamers is a leading wicket-taker in the tournament. We've seen a more rounded side over the last couple of years."Trott recalled the thrilling double Super Over match between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru earlier this year. He believes it highlighted the narrowing gap between teams."What I take away from that match is we should have won it," Trott said. "But it also shows how the gap is closing with regards to our side. Our players have the ability to chase in T20 cricket."Afghanistan will face a stern test against India, one of the tournament favorites. However, Trott is confident in his team's abilities and believes they can challenge the Indian giants.

Afghanistan's head coach Jonathan Trott has hailed the appointment of Dwayne Bravo as the team's bowling coach for the ongoing T20 World Cup. Trott believes that Bravo's extensive experience in franchise cricket has significantly impacted the approach of Afghanistan's bowlers, making his job easier and enhancing the overall coaching experience.In their opening match, Afghanistan showcased their bowling prowess as left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed an impressive 5/9, while openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76) and Ibrahim Zadran (70) laid a solid foundation with the bat. The Afghans ultimately defeated tournament debutants Uganda by a commanding margin of 125 runs."DJ (Dwayne Bravo) coming into the side, fantastic. Having quality coaches also with huge experience as players (is great), but also vast franchise experience in this format of the game," Trott said in the post-match press conference."(It's) only a brilliant thing to have a player like him coming to the side as coach and it makes your job a lot easier but it also makes the coaching more enhanced, especially with the bowlers.""We've seen the start of his first game with us and we saw the bowlers bowl really well, so credit to Dwayne. So (a) nice start for the boys," he added.Despite the heavy defeat, Uganda captain Brian Masaba chose to focus on the positives, describing the experience of hearing their national anthem and seeing their flag at the World Cup as a "pretty special moment." Masaba acknowledged the nerves that came with playing their first-ever T20 World Cup match and commended his team's fighting spirit in the face of a strong Afghan side."Pretty special moment for us, hearing our national anthem and seeing our flag at the World Cup," Masaba said after the match."First game at the World Cup, (a) lot of nerves, so good to get that out of the way.""Something I will cherish for the rest of my life. We will look to come out and play better next game. They got off to a pretty good start and then it was about fighting back. It was very important how we fought back and full credit to the boys for that," he added.Uganda will next face Papua New Guinea in their second Group C match on Thursday. Afghanistan, on the other hand, will take on New Zealand at the same venue on Saturday.