'Nice feeling, but big matches coming up': Afghan coach Trott

Afghanistan hammered Papua New Guinea by seven wickets on Thursday to record a third consecutive group stage victory that took them into the Super Eights. The result also knocked 2021 edition’s finalists New Zealand out of the tournament

There is understandable elation among Afghanistan players after ensuring a maiden Super Eight berth in the T20 World Cup but head coach Jonathan Trott says the jubilation has not come in the way of their understanding of the reality that they “haven’t won anything yet”.

New Zealand ousted

Afghanistan hammered Papua New Guinea by seven wickets on Thursday to record a third consecutive group stage victory that took them into the Super Eights. The result also knocked 2021 edition’s finalists New Zealand out of the tournament.

“We still have one game left, an important group game, and that’s going to be a good gauge of where we are against a powerful West Indies side who won an incredible game last night [against New Zealand] from the position they were in,” Englishman Trott said in the post-match press conference.

“So, it’s nice to have won tonight and got qualification as such. To come to a World Cup and win three is a nice feeling, but also the realisation and reality that we haven’t won anything yet.

“We only achieved the group stage and we’ve got some important matches coming up which we’re going to have to play well in,” Trott added.

Rashid Khan in top form

The war-torn South Asian nation has been in terrific form in the mega event, led by talismanic all-rounder Rashid Khan and propelled by some strong performances by pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, who has 12 wickets in his kitty.

The batting form of openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran has also been a crucial aspect of the Afghans’s success story. They will face India in their first Super Eight clash on June 20 in Barbados.

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