7 October - Dharamsala - Afghanistan Coach Jonathan Trott post-match press conference
[Reporter:]
I thought the game was going pretty well the start, what is your assessment of where and why things didn't go so well after that start?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I thought we obviously started well, close to 100 in 20 overs. And then we just had soft dismissals really. Guys giving their wicket away, going against what we had as a game plan with regards to that. We played, I thought, pretty well leading into the game against Sri Lanka. I think we got close to where we want to be playing in the warm-up games. But it's about dealing with the pressure of World Cup cricket and playing in major tournaments. So that's where we fell short today. I think we lost something like 73 for 9. Bowled out in 38 overs, something like that, 38 - 37. So that's a disappointing thing and it's really difficult to win cricket matches when you bat like that.
[Reporter:]
Just wanted to ask about the outfield as well. We obviously saw quite a few players sort of slipping over the deep throughout both innings. What was your take on it? Was the ground fit to host this game?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I don't think that's a decision for me to sit here and make an assessment of. I just think if you've got players unsure of whether they can dive, we see the product of cricket all around the world where players are taught and encouraged to improve their fielding. And when you've got players worried about getting injured, I mean, we're lucky Mujeeb he hasn't got a serious knee injury towards the end. Yes, he probably shouldn't have dived on his knee, but we saw so I think it was Devon Conway from New Zealand early on as well.
So, something for them to look at, but it's not the reason why we lost today. I'm definitely not putting any blame on that, but that's something to keep an eye on for the future, hopefully.
[Reporter:]
Definitely in such tournaments, the first match losing or winning has its impact. What do you think of the first match and the coming matches?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I’d like to see us bounce back. I think, obviously, we know the areas we need to improve. And we've got two big games in Delhi now against India and then England. So, we've got to dust ourselves off. We travel tomorrow to Delhi. A couple of practices and then a big match against India, which is going to be a great spectacle. I know the boys will be really, really up for it.
[Reporter:]
You spoke about the batting coming unstuck after a point. But what do you make of the decision making some of your top order batters? Because the talk yesterday from Hashmath also was that, you know, there is a sense of familiarity for your team having played so much in India, having played the IPL. But would you say the decision making today with shot selection was a problem?
[Jonathan Trott:]
I think when you lose nine wickets for 73 there is a problem, yeah. So, the decision making, the stability, certainly when you get bowled out in 38 overs, that was the problem today.
So, I would say middle order needs to take more responsibility. But also, if there's momentum in the game, try and wrestle the momentum back. It just seemed to go all Bangladesh's way and no one stayed there and sort of tried to absorb some pressure.
It seemed to be sort of one-dimensional a little bit so that's something we've got to work on.
[Reporter:]
[Question inaudible]
[Jonathan Trott:]
I think so. I think we've seen it in spurts. I just think we need to do it more consistently for longer periods of time certainly over 100 overs for an ODI. It's a long day and you need to be on it all the time.
So being more consistent in our basics is what's going to look after us going forward in this tournament. I look forward to the challenge that lays ahead in the next coming matches and I'm excited to see how they respond.
[Reporter:]
[question inaudible]
[Jonathan Trott:]
I think they just played... We didn't play the spinners at all well. And they played our spinners OK. I think they played pretty well. It just was stark contrast to the way that we played the Bangladesh spinners - no disrespect to them at all. They bowled well, they're fine bowlers, but we allowed them to bowl well, I thought it did turn a little bit as well. I thought it sort of held up. I thought if the game had gone another 20 overs or 12 overs in our innings and then a little bit longer, I think the ball would have spun towards the end of the innings as well.