Afghanistan’s opener Ibrahim Zadran dedicated his Player of the Match award to head coach Jonathan Trott, whose contract ended after the team was eliminated from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Afghanistan defeated Canada by 82 runs in their final match of the tournament.
Zadran scored an unbeaten 95 runs off 56 balls, hitting 7 fours and 5 sixes, leading Afghanistan to 200/4 after being invited to bat first. Canada managed only 118/8, with Mohammad Nabi taking four wickets and Rashid Khan taking two.
After the match, Zadran praised Trott, saying, “I enjoyed batting today. I didn’t perform well in the first two games. I wanted to rely on my skills. There was pressure, but I thrive in such situations. I aimed to stay positive and hit the bad balls.”
He further added, “I want to dedicate this award to coach Jonathan Trott for his support. Today is his last day with us, and he has been an amazing coach. He taught me a lot, and I wish him all the best. We will miss him.”
Trott began his role with Afghanistan in 2022 with an 18-month contract, extended in 2024 and renewed until the T20 World Cup 2026. Under his guidance, Afghanistan achieved notable results in ICC events. Rashid Khan also spoke highly of Trott’s impact.
“We had great times with him. He was crucial to our success. It’s tough to see him go, but we wish him the best. We played good Cricket. Losing to South Africa was disappointing. We needed to win at least one match against New Zealand or South Africa. We need to improve our batting and bowling in the final overs,” Rashid said.
“We have good spinners and reliable batters at the top of the order. Thank you for your support. We appreciate the love from everyone,” he concluded.
