23 October - Chennai - Afghanistan Coach Jonathan Trott post-match press conference
Reporter:]
I know you are an Englishman, but do you have any idea what does it mean for the Afghanistan team and Afghanistan, the country?
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, yeah, it doesn't take a lot to see the passion and the rivalry between it. You know, Asia Cup, we had a very disappointing loss and last year in the T20 World. And then we had a series against them a couple of months ago, three ODI series, which a few times we were in the game, and I'm just glad today we were in the game again and we managed to get across the line. So very happy with how it went. And very happy for a few of the batsmen who have, hopefully will now have that self-belief that we can go on and trust their games and be very confident for the games coming forward.
I think for the country, I think it just shows the amount of talent in the side for the country again, as when we were fortunate enough to beat England. It inspires another generation of players to pick up a cricket bat and a cricket ball, work on their fielding and their fitness. We see that the likes of the guys are very fit today and fielding for 50 overs and then Ibrahim batting for 35, you know, close to 40 overs, you know, is a great, great credit to him.
[Reporter:]
There's a perception that Afghanistan defend well and that there's a chance of them batting first and then putting out a score and in defending but here chasing 282 in such a fashion What was the talk going on at the dressing room and you started saying? Okay, 282 - at the halftime mark. What was your message to the team and what was the talk going on?
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, I don't want to give too much away, but I said, we're not going to be able to win this game in 35-40 overs. We're going to have to bat well for 50 overs. And we broke it down to 10-over splits. And the start that Gurbaz and Ibrahim gave us, we were well ahead of where we thought we should have to be. And it sort of allowed us a little bit more breathing room come the end of the game. And made sure that we had the opportunity to finish the game off in the 49th over and we did so that was great.
[Reporter:]
The match went up to the 49th over. What do you believe was the turning point? And at any stage were you worried you wouldn't be able to chase?
[Jonathan Trott:]
The turning point for me was the start that Ibrahim and Gurbaz gave us – I think that’s always good when you're chasing a total like that, you need a good start, there's a less pressure on the players coming in. And it makes their job easier. So those two batsmen I think outstanding and I'm very happy for everyone getting into the tournament now and we showing he doesn't have to show but showing everybody in the world stage what a good player he is and you know very excited for the way that he played and Gurbaz as well that partnership they had but also the way that Rehmat Shah played, very happy for him. Again, showing everybody how he can play, but also the captain coming in and scoring it better than a runner ball to finish off the game. And it's always a nice feeling as a captain to get the winning run.
[Reporter:]
Inaudible
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, it's yet to see. We need to be more consistent in the things that we do. We know the areas we need to work on and those things that will help us have evenings like this and be more consistent and beat the big teams. But every game that we go into this World Cup, we got a chance of winning it. We've seen that today. We saw it a week ago so. You know very happy and just let this sink in and it's nice to get on a flight to Pune tomorrow with the win under our belt.
[Reporter:]
You spoke about the rivalry that exists between Afghanistan and Pakistan and with 282 on board. How hard was it to keep the emotions in check among the batsmen because they were going like great guns, they were playing with risk-free shots and everything. Was it like struggling to keep their emotions in check?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I thought the players in the middle, their emotions were outstanding. I think to have a historic win like this as well for the players, you could easily get a little bit ahead of yourself or get a bit nervous or panicky. I thought the way that Rahmat Shah, the way that he played, there's still a few things, a few singles he could have maybe taken to take the pressure off himself, but the shot that he played there to hit a straight six sort of broke the back of the game and the way that the captain played as well, you know, took the pressure off the changing room. So great feeling.
[Reporter:]
If I could ask about the two openers, both are young players, and the way they set up the game, what does it say about the talent pool and the talent pipeline that you have back at home? And secondly, about the Chennai crowd, I know you had great support in Delhi during that victory, but this was a different crowd that was supporting both sides and supporting the game. How did that help in creating the exciting game that you have?
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, your first question, I think the two opening batters that we have are very, very exceptionally talented young players and the sky's the limit for both of them in different ways. They're different types of players and my message to them is just keep growing your own game and play your own way. Have a look at what the team needs you to do and try and play accordingly within your own game plan. And we saw that tonight. We saw how well they can play and how much pressure they can put on opposition bowlers, world-class bowlers as well. I thought that the calmness, certainly when the spin came on, there were some balls that spun. I thought they held their shape really well and you know always looked in control which is one of the most important things as a batsman to be able to do and send a calming message back to the change room.
As for the fans I think in Delhi we played against obviously played England we had a full house there basically, we've come to Chennai here and you know it's a real credit to the ICC for obviously getting the game to everybody around the world and making accessible to everyone but also the fanatical support and interest in cricket in this country is another level so we're happy to play here, we're happy for all the support or any support so hopefully everybody can turn up in Pune and support us again.
[Reporter:]
Sir, regarding your spin bowling is a very good weapon for Afghanistan, in future games also it will be very useful.
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, I think whenever Afghanistan plays, the way the spinners bowl is going to be important. I think it's a case of just having a look at the conditions. I thought we got it right with Noor today coming in and the way that he bowled, certainly for a youngster as well. The way that he bowled and started really well and then got a few wickets and a bit of momentum. Again, there's always things we can work on but you know that's what the likes of the IPL does for countries like Afghanistan. Exposes players from a young age to playing in front of big crowds and under pressure situations. I think he played in the IPL final, you know, and for a youngster of his age, you know, it's an amazing experience for him. So, he can bring that experience to here and put in performances like he did. So, you know, really pleasing and the more players you can get playing around the world, the better.
[Reporter:]
Jonathan, couple of interlinked questions. Number one, next you're going to play Sri Lanka and Netherlands. Now with four points in the table, not going too far forward, but do you see realistically that if one win out of two is going to put you in that fourth slot at least, or people now know that you have chased a score like 280 with eight wickets in hand. Do you think teams will now know that if given an opportunity Afghanistan will pounce on it and will add more pressure? Do you think psychologically people will be wary that and do you think that will create more chances for people to make mistakes when they play against you?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I think that's a lot of questions in one question. I think, I'm not sure which one to answer first. I think everybody, the point I want to make is everybody, whenever Afghanistan plays, is always going to respect them. So, there's not a case of if Afghanistan can't chase, Afghanistan, you know, have to sort of bat first. We saw in the Asia Cup, we nearly got across the line, we [almost] chased 280, 290 in 37 overs at Lahore so we can chase and that's my message you know to these guys learn from these experiences and this will have a great ripple effect you know going forward a lot of these players it will be future players for Afghanistan obviously and they'll make and I want to make sure that they from this experience that they you know pass it on and remember that game in Chennai when we chased on 283 or whatever it was 282 - 283 against Pakistan so just hold our shape staying control and that that'll make us more consistent and more dangerous against any opposition we come up against.
So that's what I want to take the you know and that's the message that will probably be going around to all the other teams having watched us play. So that's exciting.
[Reporter:]
Hi Jonathan, you spoke about the exposure to various leagues but Ibrahim Zadran is someone who hasn't played much of it, I think he's played the BPL. But how important has he been to your ODI batting blueprint?
[Jonathan Trott:]
You know he's scored four 100s already for such a young age and unfortunately didn't get another one tonight. But I think if he did get a little bit more exposure in franchise cricket, he would develop that side of his game as well. He plays in our T20 side and is a fantastic player. So, the more exposure he can get in franchises, I'm not saying he has to play IPL, any league around the world develops his T20 skills. I think they'll have a good knock-on effect in his 50 over cricket and Test cricket as well.
But it's not just the format, it's more the playing under pressure, big crowds, different conditions, learning to play. And that's the test of the modern player nowadays is to be able to play in all different conditions you know you go to Australian bouncy wickets and spinning wickets here in the subcontinent. So that's what it'd be that's what's it's good for young players.
[Reporter:]
You cleaned out England couple of days ago and today you cleaned out Pakistan. What have you been feeding them? Some magic drink, or what is the secret here?
[Jonathan Trott:]
No, I think it's just a message of consistency and not being scared to say, listen, we need to improve in these areas, let's make sure we do this. And I'm under no illusion that there are areas that need improving, like any side though. So, if we improve at those slowly, I think, our all-round package improves and you'll be able to handle the pressure like we've done tonight. So, I'm always looking forward to the... As in not... I'm looking forward, I'm, you know, already sort of thinking about plans for Sri Lanka but it's again you know for me as a coach you know it's fantastic to be able to sit here but the players deserve a lot of the credit it's not what I'm feeding them it's what they're feeding themselves in practice and the way that they think about the game and the professionalism that's you know building. The one thing I would say they're very you know for a side they're very fit they're working incredibly hard at their fitness and then the gym they're not doing you know beach weights they're doing proper fitness work and we saw that today the you know with Rahmat being able to field for 50 overs and then bat for the amount of time that he did in that heat, so it's a real credit to the players.
[Reporter:]
If I could just add one more, is the adrenaline rush of playing Pakistan, how much did that play a role?
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, I think as a coach or as a player, you need to use that in a positive way and make sure it doesn't affect the way that we think and cloud our mind. And we should use it as a positive and let it help us narrow our focus on what we want to do. So that's the most important thing and I think we saw that today. I'm just, one thing I'm extremely happy about the way that the calmness we had when we're knocking off a lot of the time we're trying maybe panic and hit boundaries. I think the way that we hit singles and remain calm, I'm you know, with progress you can start seeing a little bit of progress and that's very rewarding for me as a coach, but all the other coaches, but also as players. That has a very calming effect on all the other players.
[Reporter:]
38 overs of spin, that's the fourth highest spin used in the World Cup. The three previous sides that used that much spin have lost. This is the first time 38 overs have won the game and four quality spinners, what was the message for spinners? And how important was inclusion of Noor in today's sense? And how they've worked as a package?
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, Yeah, I think when you've got the options like we do it’s foolish not to use them, certainly when looking at that pitch today. So, we've got that at our disposal and we've got to make sure we don't overdo it a little bit. But the way Noor came in was great and I thought the way that he bowled, there's only, you know, the sky's the limit for him. He would have been nervous, there's a little bit, maybe a bit of room and consistency, make sure he works on that, but as soon as he got that length right, he spins the ball so much. You know, you take the mitt to him, you're standing up when he's practicing, you hear that ball fizzing. So, it's a real talent for such such a young lad to be able to get that many revs on the ball and spin it the amount he does that's all I say to him just keep spinning it as much as you can. So, they're really happy for him.
[Reporter:]
[inaudible]
[Jonathan Trott:]
Well, yeah, well, the thing is that they, you know, world famous, world renowned. Opposition are always going to look at them and see how they can attack him. And it's, you know, they're always working in, one thing I would say at practice, I see the three of them bowling in a net together or the four of them bowling in a net, they're always working hard together and how they can improve. They're not just very reliant on Rashid. I know Rashid maybe gets a lot of the credit, but the way that I thought Nabi bowled I think he bowled 10 overs for 31 today. I thought that was outstanding as a finger spinner against Pakistan who play spin really well, I thought it was really good and we've seen Mujeeb on other days ball really well and take wickets early on so Rash was good as well.
[Freelancer:]
I'm not sure if I already answered this, I came in a bit late So there have been three or four upsets so far in this World Cup. And two of them have come from you. So, what's your honest assessment? Why are these upsets happening and as per you is this the most unpredictable World Cup to date?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I think I'm not sure I'd say upset if I'm honest. I think we say an upset I think it's a disservice to the guys in the changing room. I think maybe you'd say, you know, when we go into a side, you say underdogs or whatever, but it's not an upset. We played well, these guys work hard and they deserve to win. If we play good cricket. And for me, I think we've just got to make sure we keep playing good cricket and not get too far ahead of ourselves.
As for unpredictable World Cup, I'm not sure. I think there have been lots of World Cups where teams have lost and then gained form at the end of the World Cup and gone and won games, crucial games. You look at Australia of, you know, 99 World Cup, they got on a big roll and it happens. So, you know, England last World Cup as well, they lost two games and then got on a bit of a roll, so it happens and hopefully this is hopefully this is our to get on a you know get on a good roll and see where we can get to – crucial games.
[Reporter:]
And one last for me You Afghanistan has already as you said not really an upset, but they have two big wins. It kind of reminds me of Morocco doing the same during the FIFA World Cup. So, do you firmly believe that Afghanistan can beat the Morocco of this World Cup?
[Jonathan Trott:]
Which World Cup was that?
[Reporter:]
FIFA World Cup.
[Jonathan Trott:]
Which one? Which FIFA World Cup?
[Jonathan Trott:]
The one last year - I didn't watch too much, I just watched England, if I'm honest. You're asking me a question I'm not sure, but again, I'm not saying we're going to be Morocco, I'd like to just be ourselves. We've had some very close games and hard-fought games of Sri Lanka and I think we will be expecting the same so we got to get ready for that but the nice thing is we've got a bit of a little bit of a break few days off enjoy, enjoy tonight and that's the one thing I will say to the players make sure you enjoy these victories but as soon as we get on that plane arriving to Pune it's in the pocket, take the confidence from the game and start looking forward to Sri Lanka.