Afghanistan player Rahmanullah Gurbaz and coach Jonathan Trott during a practice session an ODI World Cup 2023 match.
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B

Afghanistan may have defeated three former World Cup champions so far in the tournament. It may have had its best World Cup outing already. While taking pride in his unit’s achievement, head coach Jonathan Trott has already set an in-form batting group its next target, of scoring a hundred.

“Nobody has got a hundred so far yet, so that’s the next challenge. Someone accepts responsibility and batting for a longer period of time and make sure we get a hundred,” Trott said after Afghanistan thumped Sri Lanka by seven wickets on Monday.

“You see, a lot of hundreds are scored in the tournament. That’s the next frontier, the next barrier. Gurbaz has scored a few hundreds recently, you know Ibrahim has. The middle order is in form, 3-4-5-6, as well. That’s the next challenge and I have got no doubt that the players will be able to in the future. Hopefully it starts with the next game.”

For the second time in succession, Afghanistan’s batters timed the chase to perfection. Trott revealed that breaking down the target on a whiteboard in the dug-out is being employed to ease out the pressure of a chase.

There is a bit more focus with regards to breaking it down into smaller targets, for sometimes you know sitting out in Pakistan getting chasing 280 and starting on nought, it’s a long way,” Trott said.

“If you break it down, that seems a lot more manageable, so those sort of little things, motivating the players and keeping them in touch with where we want to be. And that’s also a feel-good fact, if you know you are on the right track, it’s also a nice feeling as well.”