After the 2026 T20 World Cup in March, Jonathan Trott will step down as head coach of Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) stated. Additionally, the board announced that they will fire batting coach Andrew Puttick when his contract expires on December 31.
Puttick, who assumed the position in January of this year, was the batting coach for Pakistan before that. Jonathan Trott , on the other hand, took over as Afghanistan’s head coach in July 2022 and has been instrumental in turning the squad into a potent white-ball team. During his tenure, he led Afghanistan to a number of noteworthy international performances.
Jonathan Trott, who was first appointed for an 18-month term, was given a 12-month extension in 2024 and another in 2025.
“The Australian Cricket Board acknowledges that coaching changes are a normal occurrence in the world of cricket. Teams’ strategic requirements and leadership style change along with them. With this move, Afghanistan enters a new era as the board works to achieve long-term success. No international team stays under one coach for an extended period of time. The board made this choice as part of the ACB’s long-term strategic planning for the next stage of the national team’s development, according to a statement cited by ESPNcricinfo.
It is anticipated that Jonathan Trott will serve as Afghanistan’s head coach until the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Afghanistan accomplished historic feats under his leadership, including making it to the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals in the USA and the Caribbean and making their first-ever appearance in the ICC event’s knockout stages after stunning victories over Australia and New Zealand in the group and Super Eight stages.
Afghanistan had previously won the 2023 ODI World Cup with impressive victories over England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They had even nearly defeated ultimate champions Australia.
It has been an honor to work with the Afghanistan National Team and to see their drive, tenacity, and desire for excellence. I will always be an Afghan cricket supporter, and I am happy of what we have achieved together. “I hope the Afghan people and the team have more success in the years to come,” Jonathan Trott remarked.
Afghanistan also won two significant ODI series in Sharjah under Trott’s leadership, against South Africa and Bangladesh. The team, which placed among the top eight teams in the 2023 ODI World Cup points table, later in 2025 earned a historic spot at the upcoming Champions Trophy.
More recently, Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe 3-0 in a T20I series after sweeping Bangladesh 3-0 in an ODI series. Afghanistan has won 20 of 43 ODIs and 29 of 61 T20Is under Trott’s direction, making this one of their most successful coaching stints to date.
Jonathan Trott next responsibility is already set; starting on December 2, he will coach the Gulf Giants in the forthcoming ILT20 season. In the 2024–25 SA20 season, he was the head coach of the Pretoria Capitals until Sourav Ganguly took them.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will mark the start of the hiring process for a new head coach, according to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Earlier this year, veteran fast bowler Hamid Hassan had taken over as acting head coach when Trott was away on the multi-format tour of Zimbabwe. veteran captain Nawroz Mangal was the assistant coach.
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