Gros Islet (St Lucia), June 18 Though Afghanistan advances to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, but head coach Jonathan Trott expressed his disappointment with team's batting in a huge loss to West Indies in their final group-stage match.
Despite a promising start to the tournament with three consecutive wins, Afghanistan's campaign hit a bump with a heavy 104-run defeat to the West Indies on Tuesday.
Afghanistan's journey through Group C was marked by impressive victories over Uganda, and Papua New Guinea, and a significant win against New Zealand, which knocked the Kiwis out of the tournament. The team's early success saw them topping the group table with a robust net run rate, securing their place in the Super 8 alongside the big names of world cricket.
Reflecting on the recent defeat to West Indies, Trott highlighted the team's struggles with both batting and bowling. "All right, areas we need to work on, and just being able to pull-overs back. If we don't start an over well, being able to get out of an over and try and stop that," Trott said during the post-match press conference.
The loss served as a wake-up call for the Rashid Khan-led side, emphasising the need to tighten their bowling and bolster their batting depth.
"Today we had two overs in total that went for 60 runs, and that swings the game massively. That takes a lot of pressure off the next 18 overs, so though that's the reality, that's the black and white of the game. And yeah, with batting, I'm disappointed, and we couldn't have got a bit closer," he said.
Afghanistan's first Super 8 encounter is set against a formidable Indian side on June 20, at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. Historically, Afghanistan have struggled against India in T20Is, with Men in Blue securing a clean sweep in a three-match series earlier this year.
India have shown consistent form, winning three consecutive matches before their final group game was abandoned due to inclement weather in Florida.
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