Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott previews must-win ICC Cricket World Cup clash with Netherlands

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00:00 Hi Coach, there is lots of talk about how you have changed the way the Afghanistan batters

00:11 are batting in the middle order. Is it like there is something specific talk going on

00:17 because before the World Cup you made a very point that they know how to clear the boundary

00:22 but the main challenge is to hit through the ground and run 1s and 2s. So Afghanistan in

00:30 that department has done pretty extraordinary well. So your thought on that, is there any

00:35 specific work gone through behind it?

00:40 I think it's a case more of just being better all around and thinking more about your all

00:44 around game. I think Afghanistan naturally grows up playing a lot more T20 cricket format

00:49 than any other format. So the skills for T20 are there. It's about adding to that base

00:55 of T20 skills. As you see 50 other crickets a long time and you have to be able to ride

01:02 the ebbs and flows of a game. The thing that I'm really happy about from last game is we

01:09 lost a wicket in the first over and Ramachandran was able to go into number 3 and soak up that

01:13 pressure but still keep scoring at a good tempo. So that shows the ability to soak up

01:21 pressure at times which you have to do in 50 other cricket but also then accelerate

01:24 at certain times. So wanting and trying to enable batters and give them the game and

01:30 help them grow the game so they can have both facets of the game. Pressure, soaking it up,

01:35 rotation of strike and obviously accelerating and boundary hitting.

01:40 So what's your biggest, you are the coach of the Afghanistan cricket team but what's

01:45 your biggest learning with this bunch of boys who have been doing exceptionally well. What's

01:51 your key learning with this bunch?

01:55 I think the key thing for me is learning, understanding the game from a different point

02:01 of view, different culture, different way of thinking about it compared to how the game

02:06 is spoken about, thought about and coached in England or perhaps growing up in South

02:10 Africa and having another complete culture in different countries way of thinking about

02:15 cricket and trying to adapt to that but also add to it to make it as good as possible.

02:21 So that's been the biggest learning for me and the thing that I enjoy doing the most.

02:28 Hi coach, a few hours ago Colin Ekerman was here from the Netherlands camp and I asked

02:37 him about countering the spin attack of Afghanistan and in reply he said that Afghanistan team

02:44 has three good spinners who have done well in the T20 format but the 50 overs format

02:49 is a bit different thing. So as a coach do you think if you have talent in the side then

02:56 format really matters?

02:59 I think it's about being consistent in those formats. I think our spinners are ranked quite

03:04 highly in ODI cricket as well as T20 so I'm not quite sure what that sort of comment is

03:09 but I think they bowl well in all formats. So I don't think it's a case of just talent

03:19 as your question suggests, I think it's a case of experience, it's a case of NAS, it's

03:23 a case of assessing the conditions like our spinners do, communicating that, what length

03:27 as well that spinners should bowl, having that. So it's not just about the format, it's

03:33 about the moment and the occasion as well. A lot goes into the melting pot to make a

03:38 good spinner, certainly T20 cricket but also in ODI cricket where generally spinners are

03:43 going to bowl with only four fielders out and that's a skill in itself to be able to

03:47 do that as a finger spinner and as a wrist spinner to have the control as a wrist spinner

03:52 but also the experience and the skill as a normal finger spinner with no mystery.

03:59 Jonathan, Ikram had an injury in the previous game and Gurbhaj had to take the gloves. So

04:05 what's the status on Ikram's injury right now? Is he available for the game?

04:09 Yeah, he's available.

04:11 What kind of injury was it?

04:13 I just hurt his finger.

04:21 This is the previous home ground of Afghanistan team at IKANA and how you people are looking

04:28 to utilize benefits?

04:30 I think when it comes to home ground advantage, I think they have good experience of playing

04:39 here at the ground but in the case of World Cup matches, I think they've relayed the pitch

04:46 a little bit so it's a little bit different to how it has been in the past so I don't

04:50 think experience plays that bigger role but I would say previous World Cup experience

04:59 from the players as well, we've won against big sides, against the big test playing nations.

05:04 I think tomorrow's challenge is going to be playing against a very good Dutch side who

05:08 are in form and that's going to be the challenge for us tomorrow so very excited for it. So

05:12 I don't think there's any advantage having previously played here maybe because I think

05:17 Holland have played here before as well, I'm pretty sure. So they've got probably more

05:22 experience in the World Cup of playing here than we have so it's all about how we play

05:26 tomorrow.

05:27 Trot, the most trending question this time in all over the world is Afghanistan is going

05:33 to make place in top four in semi-finals, lots of permutations and combinations in your

05:38 mind this time?

05:39 Well we're not going to make the semis, you know, by just talking about it, we have to

05:44 play good cricket. So as long as we play good cricket we'll give ourselves the best chance

05:47 of being able to do that. So that starts tomorrow and how well we start tomorrow is going to

05:53 be crucial and how well we finish. It's important that when it comes to World Cup games everything

06:03 is different, different conditions, we've moved away, we've had, you know, Pune is very

06:07 different to Lucknow, Delhi is very different so that's the challenges of the World Cup

06:11 is different conditions, different grounds, different climates. So as long as we adjust

06:16 ourselves well, we had a good practice yesterday, hopefully we have another good practice today

06:20 and we're ready for tomorrow.

06:22 Coach, there are lots of talk about Ajay Jadidja's mentorship in Afghanistan team and what type

06:29 of help you are getting from him?

06:31 Well I think Ajay obviously brings a lot of experience having played a lot of cricket

06:36 in India and he's always a good sounding board with regards to conditions and the venues

06:44 and probably the sort of other, also the other subcontinent teams that we've played against.

06:50 You know, he has a lot of experience in that way having played a lot against different

06:53 those countries. So he brings his vast experience to the players but also as for myself as a

06:59 coach as a good sounding board with decision making and sort of planning going forward

07:06 for each game and also another good set of eyes on the players to see how they are preparing

07:10 for the matches and how their careers and talent is being utilised.

07:14 One more question please. Afghan players are very good looking in longer version of game

07:21 at present, they are very patient in batting. How this change came?

07:29 I just think it's a case of a lot of thoughts and going behind it from the players and also

07:38 realising how much time you actually do have in the 50 over game. I think when chasing

07:42 those targets we saw what is possible if you have a good solid start and you have in batsmen

07:48 in the last 10 overs. That's happened for us but it's also happened against us in games

07:53 where it's been difficult to stop the opposition with set batters in the last 10 overs.

07:59 So I think having that sort of vision, knowing that you can score quickly towards the back

08:05 end of games, I think that's the pennies. We are starting to see that drop with the

08:11 players. Obviously there is a difference between talking about it but actually going out and

08:14 doing it. We are seeing players go out and do it now and it's not just a case of the

08:18 players talking about it. That's what we have done, we have spoken a lot about it and

08:23 worked really hard to try and achieve it. So it's nice to see the players do well and

08:27 have a smile on their face when they are there batting at the end of the game having chased

08:31 in the last two games and won.

08:33 Coach, are we going to see all spin attack here? That means all your four spinners will

08:40 play here because this pitch is more helpful to spinners and the opposition team is not

08:47 so good in playing spin.

08:50 Have you seen the pitch? No, I think we are going to try and pick the side for the conditions,

09:00 the best side we can pick. So we will just have to see how that shapes up tomorrow when

09:04 we get to the ground.

09:05 Hi coach. What do you think about the due factor, how the playing XI will be affected

09:17 by the due factor that is having here in Lucknow?

09:22 It does come into equation but we saw that you not really have an effect when India played

09:30 England. So you have got to weigh it up obviously when you are selecting the side but also the

09:36 decision to the toss. We have sort of seen the toss not have a huge effect on outcomes

09:42 of the games and whatever we do, whether we bat or bowl first, having won the toss or

09:46 lost the toss, we have got to make sure we do it better than the Netherlands tomorrow.

09:52 Can you comment on the due factor and overall on all the games that you have played, whether

09:57 the due factor has any role in India right now because in some games like India did here,

10:03 the ball was turning even though there was a due. So overall if you can make a comment

10:08 in this regard.

10:09 I think it depends on different types of pitches and also the amount of due. Certainly you

10:14 have seen in Pune now the pitch there, the due has played a role in being able to chase

10:19 and it definitely, it is really tricky to sort of sit here and not talk about it because

10:26 I haven't played at all the grounds. We have only played at Delhi where it didn't have

10:30 much of an effect. Chennai had had a bit of an effect, Pune had had a little bit of an

10:35 effect. So everywhere it is just a little bit but again as I said, the due doesn't determine

10:39 whether you want to lose because we saw India win here bowling last. Again, seeing that

10:43 it is how you bat, how you bowl and how you get yourself into the composition and competition

10:48 and outplay the opposition.

10:50 Hello coach, this is not specific to World Cup. Afghanistan has been using Mujib as an

10:58 opening bowler for quite a long time. So what do you feel about this? What qualities do

11:03 you think has helped him to do this so well?

11:06 Well, there are a few things to why Mujib does so well. He is one of the only spinners

11:11 I know who wants to bowl in the powerplay. He sees that as his role and I think that

11:16 can only benefit us as a side but also that is what he benefits from mentality wise. You

11:22 don't want somebody who doesn't want to bowl in the powerplay, especially a spinner.

11:26 So to have that ability but also the way people around the world know how good a bowler he

11:32 is, the variations he has. He can manipulate which way he spins the ball depending on the

11:38 strength of the opposition batsman. And his accuracy, certainly in the last few games,

11:44 has been getting better and better and really, really good and been bowling world class in

11:48 the powerplay. So I am looking certainly tomorrow for him to continue his form and make inroads

11:56 and have an impact on the game tomorrow.

11:59 Coach, in Chennai you guys played Noor. He did exceptionally well. Next game he was benched.

12:06 Farrukhi came in, he picked four. It's like horses for courses as far as we understand.

12:12 So how difficult it is as a coach to tell an 18 year old that, "Ok mate, you have done

12:16 well but this pitch we are going to try a different combination and you are warming

12:21 the bench." Is it difficult to have a talk?

12:25 I think it's always difficult to tell a person you are leaving them out after the way that

12:28 they bowl, especially a young person who is so ambitious and talented but also determined

12:32 to do well. But I think it's great in his attitude, in Noor I think you are referring

12:37 to, that he knows his career and you sort of explain to him this is the reasons, but

12:44 well done. But make sure that you keep working hard because the thing that I am most happy

12:49 about in that he has been with the side for almost two months and he got his opportunities

12:55 because he has been training really well, he took his opportunity. So there is no hesitation

13:01 in picking him again if the conditions suggest that he should be picked. I know that he will

13:08 be ready and excited for him to play.

13:11 Did you guys know about the champion trophy qualification scenario before the tournament

13:20 and is it in your mind now?

13:23 I didn't know about it before the tournament, no.

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