Jonathan Trott Tears Up During His Final Press Conference as Afghanistan’s Head Coach: “Leaving Wasn’t My Decision”

Jonathan Trott could not see Afghanistan through to the Super 8s of the 2026 T20 WC, following defeats to South Africa and New Zealand. 

Jonathan Trott Tears Up During His Final Press Conference as Afghanistan’s Head Coach: “Leaving Wasn’t My Decision”

Jonathan Trott was emotional in his final press-meet as Afghanistan's head coach. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • Jonathan Trott emotionally announced his departure as head coach of Afghanistan after their exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup.
  • He expressed that leaving was not his decision and praised the dedication of Afghan players during his tenure.
  • Trott is now a candidate to replace Brendon McCullum as England's head coach, expressing a desire to coach the team he holds dear.

Struggling to contain his emotions, Jonathan Trott appeared in his last press conference as the head coach of the Afghanistan men’s cricket team. His four-year tenure with Afghanistan concluded following the team’s exit at the 2026 T20 World Cup group stage.

Englishman Jonathan Trott is often credited by many for having led Afghanistan’s rise into an exciting cricketing prospect. He was appointed head coach in July 2022, with his tenure beginning with a dismal 2022 T20 World Cup exit. Working with talented players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and others, the 44-year-old ex-England batter turned the Afghans into a ‘giant-killing’ powerhouse. 

The crowning achievement in Jonathan Trott’s tenure as head coach was Afghanistan’s success at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they successfully made it to their first-ever ICC semi-final after historic triumphs over Australia and New Zealand.

Under Trott, Afghanistan also dismantled three big sides, England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, at the 2023 ODI World Cup. He is also credited with the rise of players like Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Azmatullah Omarzai. 

In fact, there were the players that the 44-year-old named in his final press conference as head coach of Afghanistan. It followed the team’s final T20 World Cup group-stage fixture against Canada in Chennai. At the lengthy post-match presser, Trott reminisced about his first tour to Ireland that made him realize the potential of the side. He admitted that he felt truly fortunate to have coached Afghanistan, and talked about how the team defied expectations with professionalism and high standards. 

Jonathan Trott was visibly teary-eyed as he said goodbye to the players, with captain Rashid Khan and Ibrahim Zadran even calling him a mentor who ‘taught them to believe’. However, the ex-England batter made an emotional revelation upon his departure, subtly criticizing the Afghanistan Cricket Board. He revealed that it was not his decision to step down from the position of head coach, adding that the timing could be either right or wrong for the team.

With continuing, it’s not my decision, so that’s all I’ll leave it at really. Maybe the time’s right, maybe it’s not. I don’t know, but I wish everyone the best in the future.

Jonathan Trott also said that he was amazed at the dedication displayed by the Afghan players, despite the challenges they face in the country. He also mentioned that he took over as Afghanistan’s head coach after Graham Thorpe declined the offer. In his final ICC event.

Jonathan Trott set to replace Brendon McCullum? Former batter shares ambition to coach England

After having completed his tenure as head coach of Afghanistan, Jonathan Trott is all set to embark on a new journey. The 44-year-old former England batter was in fact, one of the key players behind the team’s rise from being ‘underdogs’ to ‘title-contenders’. 

Jonathan Trott replace Brendon McCullum
Jonathan Trott has emerged as a candidate to replace Brendon McCullum as England’s head coach. (via NDTV Sports)

Under his guidance, Afghanistan went on to finish sixth in the 2023 ODI World Cup league stages and made a fairytale run to the 2024 T20 WC semi-finals. Better than his predecessors like Phil Simmons, Lalchand Rajput, and Inzamam-ul-Haq, Trott also enjoyed a win-rate of over 45 percent. In the meantime, he also coached franchises, including Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, and Gulf Giants in the ILT20. 

In a press conference following Afghanistan’s 2026 T20 World Cup exit, Trott expressed his ambition to coach the England cricket team someday, stating that he holds the Three Lions close to his heart. He might be a contender, should the team underperform under Brendon McCullum in the T20 WC Super Eights. England have not had a good time under the Kiwi legend, having recently lost the Ashes 1-4. 

I’d always like to see the England side do well. I’d love to one day, hopefully, have the opportunity to coach a team that you hold so dear to your heart. There are a lot of people that I’m sure would love to do that job.

While McCullum’s current contract with the ECB runs until 2027, the board is said to have issued an ultimatum to the NZ icon over incidents like the Noosa trip. Should a replacement be needed, Jonathan Trott would emerge as a free agent candidate, bringing with him significant experience.

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