look news india
New Delhi, July 30 (HS). Jonathan Trott has been appointed as the new head coach of Pretoria Capitals for the upcoming SA-20 season, replacing Graham Ford, who vacated the position last month.
Currently, Trott is the head coach of the Afghanistan national team, a position he has held since 2022. His contract, renewed in January, is set to run until the end of 2024. However, it is uncertain whether the 43-year-old will remain in the position beyond that period. The SA20 League will take place in January 2025, which does not clash with his current international duties. Despite this, there is no confirmation on whether Trott will extend his contract with Afghanistan, which is set to expire in December.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the Capitals are undergoing significant changes after parting ways with Ricky Ponting, ending his seven-year stint with the Delhi franchise. Pretoria's decision to release Graham Ford came after a challenging second season in which they managed only three wins and finished fifth. It was a stark contrast to their debut season in 2023, where they topped the table and finished runners-up.
Jonathan Trott has enjoyed remarkable success as Afghanistan's head coach, significantly improving the team's performance in global tournaments. Despite their brilliance in the shorter formats, Afghanistan had won only one match in an ICC tournament before Trott's tenure. In the last nine months, they have defeated major teams such as Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bangladesh during the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20I World Cups to reach the semi-finals, where they lost to South Africa.
Trott is also being considered for the England limited-overs head coach position, although he is seen as an outside contender. A decision on the future of current head coach Matthew Mott is expected soon. Trott, who has earned 127 caps for England, has previously coached the Under-19 and Lions teams and is currently serving as assistant coach of the Trent Rockets in the men's Hundred.