Jonathan Trott lambasts surface at Tarouba after below-par batting performance from Afghanistan

Jonathan Trott displeased with the surface on offer for the semi-finals as batters fail to deliver.

Jonathan Trott lambasts surface at Tarouba after below-par batting performance from Afghanistan

Jonathan Trott and Rashid Khan, Image courtesy: X

In a surprising incident, Afghanistan found themselves being outplayed completely in the semi-finals as South Africa bundled them out for a paltry 56 before posting a scintillating showdown with the bat to clinch a berth in the final. With such skewered performances, Afghanistan head coach, Jonathan Trott expressed his dissatisfaction with the surface.

As the first semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup was played out in Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, the Afghan batters were completely in a different world. Trott went ballistic at the surface pointing out that there was excessive lateral movement and some dicey uneven bounce that left the contest askew.

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I don't want to get myself into trouble and I don't want to come across as bitter or it being a case of sour grapes but that's not the pitch that you want to have a match, a semi-final of a World Cup on, plain and simple.
Jonathan Trott said in the post-match presser

He further pointed out that he was not an advocate of an entirely flat surface either but all he was hoping for was a balanced contest between the slice of willow and the round of leather. He also emphasized that the surface shouldn’t be spitting venom when the batters chose to come forward. Trott further underscored the fact that only if the batters could play through without fear of the ball drifting around excessively, things could have been different.

How did the surface at Tarouba play out in the other T20 World Cup games before the semi-final?

Just to throw some light to Trott’s statement, as far as the stats go, the former English cricketer is on point. So far Tarouba has hosted five World Cup games and only one of the teams batting first could get past the mark of 100. It was done by West Indies who were the hosts of the tournament against New Zealand and they backed it up with a solid defense to rule them out of contention.

Jonathan Trott
Aiden Markram, image courtesy: X

The Afghan batters could barely sustain the surface as the South African bowlers never missed their mark, roaring sharply enough with some disciplined bowling. Tabraiz Shamsi and Marco Jansen led the charge with six wickets between them while Reeza Hendricks and the Proteas skipper, Aiden Markram got the goods delivered in time.

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