'That’s no pitch for a semi-final': Trott

Captain Rashid Khan and coach Jonathan Trott after Afghanistan’s defeat to South Africa. Pic/PTI

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott has lambasted the pitch that was used for their T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa here, asserting that it was unfit for a contest of such magnitude.

The pitch, which offered lateral seam movement and inconsistent bounce, was a nightmare for batters as Afghanistan were bowled out for 56 - the lowest score in a T20 World Cup semi-final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy Stadium here.

Even though South Africa chased down the target in 8.5 overs, their batters too struggled. "I don't want to get myself into trouble and I don't want to come across as bitter or it being a case of sour grapes, but that's not the pitch that you want to have a match, a semi-final of a World Cup on, plain and simple," Trott said at the post-match press conference.

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The former England batter said the pitch took batting completely out of the game. "It should be a fair contest. I'm not saying it should be flat completely with no spin and no seam movement, I'm saying you shouldn't have batsmen worrying about going forward," he explained.

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