NEW DELHI: Afghanistan's extraordinary 69-run victory over the World Cup's defending champions, England, will instill the belief that they can compete with cricket's top nations for many years to come, according to coach Jonathan Trott.
Afghanistan managed to post a total of 284 runs, with half-centuries from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ikram Alikhil, and then bowled out England for just 215, securing only their second-ever World Cup win, eight years after their initial victory over Scotland in 2015.
Trott stated, "This is significant, certainly in the manner and by the margin as well. There's a lot of confidence that will hopefully come from this when competing against the bigger nations, and it'll have a knock-on effect for all the other games, not only in this World Cup but for the future as well. What Afghanistan cricket can achieve, hopefully, this will be the kind of kick-start."
Following the win, spinner Rashid Khan expressed his hope that the victory would bring smiles to the faces of people in Afghanistan, where several earthquakes have caused significant casualties. Women's sports in Afghanistan have also been negatively impacted since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
Trott emphasized, "It's not just cricket that the guys are playing for. The guys are very aware of the hardships that some people are enduring due to natural disasters and various other reasons. If this can bring a smile to people's faces anywhere in the world and also encourage boys and girls in Afghanistan to pick up a cricket bat or a cricket ball and play wherever they are, then that's the goal that's been achieved."
Afghanistan's next match is against New Zealand in Chennai on Wednesday.
(With Reuters inputs)
