Afghanistan’s head coach Jonathan Trott has asserted that his team will no longer be taken lightly by any opposition after their thrilling eight-run victory over England in the Champions Trophy. The win, powered by Ibrahim Zadran’s majestic 177 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s five-wicket haul, knocked the defending champions out of the tournament.
A looking forward to their do-or-die encounter against Australia, Trott was full of confidence, mentioning Afghanistan's competitive show against them in last few World Cup games. "Since I have been coach, we have played against Australia three times and been in the game every time. So, we should take a lot of confidence from that," he said.
Trott stressed that Afghanistan's wins over big Test-playing countries are not regarded as upsets anymore, and teams such as Australia will not underestimate them. "I view every match we play as competitive, and I want to win," he said.
With two points from two matches, Afghanistan is still in the running for the semifinals. If they beat Australia, they will reach four points and qualify for a top-two spot, and if they lose, they will be out of the tournament. Australia, on three points, had their match against South Africa abandoned.
Trott emphasized the need for concentration, adding, "I'm going to ensure the players have a good time tonight but wake up tomorrow morning ready for Australia. Once they wake up, the priority is Australia."
Looking back at Afghanistan's incredible ascension, he attributed their tenacity, confidence in themselves, and increasing cricketing exposure. "There's a resilience to them. If you couple match awareness, particularly in batting, with the likes of Ibrahim, Gurbaz, and Gulbadin, it makes a huge difference. Self-belief is contagious, and it transfers within the team."
The upcoming match against Australia is now a virtual knockout, with the winner advancing to the semifinals and the loser exiting the tournament. Trott is hopeful for strong crowd support on Friday, urging fans to turn up for what promises to be a historic encounter. "These players will never forget nights like this. Hopefully, we’ll have a packed stadium cheering for us."
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