15 October - Delhi - Afghanistan Coach Jonathan Trott post-match press conference

[Reporter:]

You were seated there three days ago after the India loss. Someone asked you how the team was going to come back against this England team. You said it's cricket, anything can happen. What does this mean for the boys and how do you feel right now?

[Jonathan Trott:]

I think it'll take a while or hopefully it takes a little bit that sinks in pretty quickly because we've got to move on quite quickly as well. We got a game in Chennai in three days. But I think it's important that the guys enjoy it but also take stock and realize when they get a certain amount of things right in the 50 overs or the 100 overs completely, what they can achieve and the level of team that they can put under pressure and compete with and win cricket matches. So, you don't want to get too far ahead. We played three and won one -

But looking forward to getting to Chennai and rolling up our sleeves and getting cracking there.

[Reporter:]

Afghan cricket has come a long journey. So, would you place this at, how significant do you think, would you consider this victory as in the history of Afghan cricket?

[Jonathan Trott:]

Well, I think in the 50 over competition, it could be one of the highlights. I think the only other World Cup game they've won was in 2015, I think, in Dunedin against Scotland.

So, this is significant, certainly in the manner and by the margin as well. And the way that they played, at no time really, I think when we were batting, did we think we were running away with the game? We thought we had a decent total, but we had to bowl well and field well and the guys did that. So, I think it's very pleasing and there's a lot of confidence that will hopefully come from this when competing against the bigger nations and it'll have a knock-on effect to all the other games, but not only in this World Cup, but for the future as well. Just what Afghanistan cricket can achieve. Hopefully this will be the sort of kick-start it is because I know the next match, our opposition certainly will be - I'm not saying they weren't looking at us closely, but they might have a look at the tape again but we respect every opposition and I say this to the guys but we don't fear anyone every game we are here to play, we are here to, I believe win.

[Reporter:]

This match must be received with happiness back in Afghanistan and also bring some relief to the cricket team, particularly in the backdrop of natural disaster in Afghanistan.

[Jonathan Trott:]

Well, I think, and that's what I said, I think I was here yesterday or the day before, I can't remember, and saying that it's not just cricket that the guys are playing for. The guys are very acknowledgeable of the things and the hardship that some people are going through because of the natural disaster and for various other reasons. And so, if this can give a smile to people's faces anywhere in the world, but also encourage boys and girls to pick up a cricket bat or a cricket ball and get playing cricket wherever they are in Afghanistan, then, that's the sort of the goal that's been achieved. And that's great. And then grow the game and the publicity and the exposure that this side is going to give the country, but also the sport.

[Reporter:]

You've spoken before about how sometimes this team emotionally can get a bit too high or too low, those extremes. So how do you manage what you can imagine would be a massive high for them for this. How do you go about that, dealing with the team?

[Jonathan Trott:]

I'm very keen not to put a dampner on things or tell them to focus on the next game. I think it's important, certainly moments like this. I know from my career and my experience, I never soaked up enough or enjoyed moments. You know, I'm certainly going to say to the guys, enjoy tonight and, spend the time together, whatever you want to do. But as soon as we land in Chennai, then in sort of 18 hours, 12 hours’ time, whatever it is - then we switch on for the next game and it's back to business. So, it's important you celebrate your victories because they're so hard and they're always such a challenge. So that'll be my message tonight to the guys when I get back to the dressing room and make sure when we get to that first training session the day before our game in Chennai that we're fully focused.

[Reporter:]

In terms of England results, this one might be mentioned in the same breath as the Ireland game in Bengaluru in 2011. I think you played in it. I was going to ask if you remembered it, what it was like to be on the other side of that kind of defeat.

[Jonathan Trott:]

I remember. I think so. I think that's the beauty of the World Cup, isn't it? That's what cricket's about, and it's - I said earlier, this game, it sort of pushes and pulls you so much emotionally as a player and as a coach, because you want the players to do so well, because you know what they can achieve. And, you know, the previous two games, there were glimpses when we did things well, maybe perhaps more so in the second game.

So, I'm just chuffed with the players and the things that we've spoken about and as a side, we've agreed if we get these sort of things right, we can compete with anybody in the world. So, it's just the belief that I think that will give the guys, the work that they put in off the field. These guys work incredibly hard, I must say, off the field, gym-wise, business-wise, you know. I'm really impressed with them. And they will see the rewards, you know, and this will encourage them to kick on even more, hopefully. So yeah, it's brilliant. It's one win out of three. So, let's look forward to the next game.

[Reporter:]

Last time, I asked you when you lost against India. And I asked you that, will Afghanistan be able to beat England and you said definitely Afghanistan will beat anyone. Now you've done it. So how are you feeling and what positives Afghanistan will take for the upcoming games of the World Cup?

[Jonathan Trott:]

Well, I think to bowl out England, I think, you know, 220 and what is quite a good, very small field here at Delhi. It just shows that, when we bowl, we had our straps with the ball and Fazal and Mujeeb were excellent up front.

All around, I think the 50 overs, there was times that it was ebbing and flowing, but we held our nerve. And that's the thing. Sometimes when we've got in positions to win, we haven't been able to capitalize.

So, we had - Brook was playing fantastically and we managed to sort of nullify him a little bit and try and bowl at the other one. Just the cricketing awareness, that's the type of things when you're playing big games like this and you win big games, you remember the things you did well. And I know a lot of the captain and the bowlers, they'll take a lot of things like that from it. And when they're in the position again, hopefully under pressure or, the expectation is they can win a game for their side. You know, they'll know what to do and they'll know how to execute.

[Jonathan Trott:]

Could I just ask you to speak a bit about Gurbaz's innings and particularly the way he came out and put England under pressure up top in the power play?

[Jonathan Trott:]

It's amazing, wasn't it? The shots that he plays and the start that he can give us. Often, I say to Gurbaz, if you're 30 or 40, I'm not worried at all because you can catch it up at any stage and we can see certainly. On good wickets opening the batting and the balls fairly hard, you know he plays spin and he plays seem so well the and the longer he bats more the chance. We have of winning, that's what I say to him as well. So, you know fantastic talent a real interesting character and for him the amount of talent he has certainly the sky is the limit it's just about him getting the best out of himself day in, day out.

[Reporter:]

So, you have mentioned Chennai twice now, and now you'll be playing New Zealand, who have already won three out of three, and I'm not playing as a dampener, but do you think like you you'll be able to overcome them?

And the second question is you'll be playing two matches in Chennai. You have played two in Delhi; you'll be playing two in Chennai. So, does that help?

[Jonathan Trott:]

Well, I think certainly I think it's certainly in a competition I guess we're moving around a lot.

You don't have to move, there's no travel for tiredness or you become familiar with the pitch as well. But not to say that first game in Chennai, we'll have a look and then we'll only try and win the second game. We're there to try and win both games.

So, I think that's the mentality. You know, New Zealand are playing really well. They're a good side. They had a great series against England, very competitive series. So, I know that they will, fancy themselves and they'll probably be the favourites.

[Reporter:]

There's been a lot of talk about the way that England have kind of dominated white ball cricket over the last sort of five years or so. But did you get a sense when you kind of coming into this game that there were areas that you could exploit, that there were areas of weakness that maybe they hadn't and did your players exploit them in the way that maybe you wanted them to?

[Jonathan Trott:]

Well, we knew what we wanted to do. It's not so much exploiting anything. It's a case of if we do these things consistently right, then that will give us the best chance. I think it helped us a little bit that the wicket was spinning. So, for the fact that we went on and got 284 on a wicket that was spinning gives us a lot of credit because it's been times when we played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent obviously where if it's spun, we haven't played that well

So, this will give the players a huge amount of confidence. And I think the way that Ikram came into the side, but also the way that he kept was really, really good. The person playing his first World Cup game for a long time, he played obviously a few years ago. So that's brilliant.

So, there's great individual performances from our guys. And with the ball, I thought Mujeeb was excellent. I think the fact that a lot of our players have played with the English players in franchise cricket, so they get to know the ins and outs of each player so there's that familiarity and also the confidence.

Sometimes I think when you see big Test playing nations you sort of hold them in high regard. I think playing with players like that you see that they are human and you just as entitled to win or do well, so you know really pleased for the guys and but England, you know, they're a good side I think you know, obviously they lost games in 2019 as well when they won the World Cup. So, you know, I'm sure they'll bounce back.

[Reporter:]

Now that you've won and finished with a big deal, is that a bit of a surprise?

[Jonathan Trott:]

Yeah, It's always nice. I think I'll take any victory, whether it's England. I think I'm very proud of today's performance, whether it's against England or not. And I know that the players and the coaching staff deserve it, because the amount of hard work we've put in for a while and the disappointment of Asia Cup and the way that we exited there, and getting so close again, just everybody getting over the line just gives everybody a little bit of spring in their step for the rest of the tournament. So hopefully we can use that spring and take it to Chennai with us.