TAROUBA: Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott lambasted on the pitch used for his side’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final against South Africa.
Afghanistan batters found themselves in heaps of trouble against a ruthless South Africa bowling attack on a surface that offered lateral seam and uneven bounce.
The Asian side, after a shaky start, lost wickets at an alarming rate and were eventually bundled out on a meagre 56, their lowest total in Men’s T20Is.
Set to chase a modest 57-run target, South African batters also had to make hard yards to achieve the total which they did for the loss of one wicket and 67 balls to spare.
Speaking after his side’s humiliating defeat, Jonathan Trott said the pitch used was not suitable for such big games.
“I don’t want to get myself into trouble, I don’t want to come across as bitter or sour grapes but that’s not the pitch that you want to have in the semi-final of the World Cup. Plain and simple,” said Trott.
“It should be a fair contest. I’m not saying it should be flat completely with no spin and no seam movement, but you shouldn’t have bets, worrying about going forward and the ball flying over your head.
“T20 is about attacking, scoring runs and taking wickets, not looking to survive.”
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Jonathan Trott also expressed dissatisfaction with his side’s tight schedule, so they got less time to prepare than their opposition.
“Playing the last group game and then playing the first semi-final isn’t ideal – travelling and not really having, a day off if you like. But that’s not a reason we didn’t win.
“We knew the schedule, so that’s not an excuse as such. In tournaments you can’t have everything your own way, you’ve got to fight and play against the odds. We have done that at times and I’m very proud of that.”
Afghanistan had a campaign to remember in T20 World Cup 2024 as they registered wins over Papua New Guinea (PNG), Uganda and New Zealand in the group stage before triumphing over Australia and Bangladesh in the Super Eights stage to qualify for their first-ever semi-final.
READ: Rashid Khan opens up after crushing semi-final defeat against South Africa