Afghanistan combines skill and emotional equilibrium, with a little assistance from head coach. After surprising England, Afghanistan’s dressing room is abuzz, and Jonathan Trott knows all about it. Raising his right hand, he holds a pen instead of a sword, and he delivers an impassioned sermon, much like a warrior inspiring his people.
He makes modest demands. “Enjoy your evening,” Trott advises. “I didn’t appreciate the moment far too often when I was a player.” He takes a moment to process the weighty remarks. So, he says again, “enjoy this”.
This feels more like a previous player giving some crucial advice to his younger teammates than a coach updating his squad following a pivotal World Cup match.
And who could be more suitable for it than Trott, who was also a victim of the merciless and relentless character of international sports?
It is unclear whether it occurred to him at that precise moment, but precisely ten years prior, in November 2013, Trott abandoned the Ashes midway because of anxiousness brought on by stress.
Years later, his account sounded less like a scene from a cricket ground and more like David Attenborough narrating a wildlife series.
Trott would hope that a “pylon had fallen on the field and the game had been cancelled” when his mental health issues were at their worst. At other times, he wished the stadium would fall apart.
According to The Independent, he said, “As long as there was no one in it, of course.” “You find yourself contemplating numerous methods to avoid touching the ground.”
One of England’s best No. 3 players had his career destroyed by anxiety-related problems. Now, the coach of the team that embodies grit is the only Englishman remaining in the competition.
To the extent that his teammates don’t mind making fun of the Australians. Fast bowler Naveen ul Haq may not have been the best person to make the remark “human rights or 2 points” to the Australians, who had lost an ODI series due to the Taliban’s limitations on women’s rights.
Afghanistan’s campaign has been characterized by their capacity to maintain emotional equilibrium, as evidenced by their Cinderella run that has given them more than a possibility of reaching the quarterfinals despite their 0–1 record in 2019.
It is not a characteristic typically linked to a group of talented but volatile cricket players. On the other hand, since taking over as coach in July of last year, Trott has been instrumental in this regard, adding a layer to a team that was accustomed to losing crucial moments in a close game by drawing on his lessons from both successes and failures.
With a scorching average of 60.28, Trott finished as the fourth-highest run scorer at the 2011 World Cup.
However, he was also criticized for being “too slow,” and his batting style was typified by his strike rate of 80.84. Andy Flower, the England coach at the time, rushed to Trott’s defense, complimenting the batter for his ability to “stabilize” their innings.
