"Inspires another generation of players" - Jonathan Trott proud of Afghanistan after win over Pakistan in 2023 World Cup clash

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott hopes that their latest heist will inspire more youngsters to take up cricket in the country. Trott also hailed Afghanistan players' fitness standards, which was evident during their famous win over Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup.

Led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan registered their first ODI win over Pakistan in Chennai on Monday, October 23. Despite being set a stiff 283 for victory, Afghanistan got there in a canter by an astonishing eight wickets, thanks to three half-centuries by their top three batters.

Following the comprehensive victory, Trott claimed the win was evidence of the plethora of talent in the country. He also lauded Ibrahim Zadran for his kncck of 87. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he stated:

"I think it just shows the amount of talent in the side for the country again, as when we were fortunate enough to beat England. It inspires another generation of players to pick up a cricket bat and a cricket ball, work on their fielding and their fitness. We see that the guys are very fit today and fielding for 50 overs and then Ibrahim [Zadran] batting for 35, close to 40 overs is a great, great credit to him."

The win was set up by the opening partnership of 130 between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Pakistan's spinners, Shadab Khan and Usama Mir, could not make the kind of impact the Afghan spinners did. It was also Afghanistan's second win in the ongoing edition, having previously beaten England.

"I'm under no illusion that there are areas that need improving" - Jonathan Trott

Afghanistan national cricket team. (Credits: Twitter)

Trott also admitted that there's room for improvement, but feels the players have made his job extremely smooth with the kind of cricket they are playing. The 42-year-old added:

"I think it's just a message of consistency and not being scared to say, listen, we need to improve in these areas, let's make sure we do this. And I'm under no illusion that there are areas that need improving, like any side though. So, if we improve at those slowly, I think our all-round package improves and you'll be able to handle the pressure like we've done tonight. But for me as a coach, it's fantastic to be able to sit here. The players deserve a lot of the credit. It's not what I'm feeding them. It's what they're feeding themselves in practice and the way that they think about the game and the professionalism that's building."

Afghanistan will next face Sri Lanka on October 30 in Pune.