Former Pakistan Coach Takes Over from Jonathan Trott, Set to Join Afghanistan Men’s Team Ahead of Sri Lanka White Ball Series

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has appointed Rychard Pybus, the former coach of Pakistan, as the head coach of the Afghanistan Men’s cricket team. He takes over from Jonathan Trott, who left the team after the match against Canada in the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup.

Pybus, who was born in England, is set to join the Afghan team before their upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka next month in the United Arab Emirates. The ACB confirmed this in an official statement, which says:

“The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Pybus as the Head Coach of the Afghanistan National Team. He will join AfghanAtalan ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka in March.”

Richard Pybus, World Cup-winning Coach

Though Richard Pybus had a limited playing career due to injuries, he found success as a coach. He is recognized for his “Optimal Performance System,” which emphasizes player development and high performance. He has guided prominent players like Mohammad Rizwan, Dale Steyn, and Faf du Plessis with his technical insights and mental training.

Pybus has held significant coaching positions globally. While with the West Indies from 2013 to 2019, he led the teams to a historic achievement in 2016, when the men’s, women’s, and U-19 teams all won ICC World Cups in the same year. In 2019, he also directed the men’s team to a Test series victory against England at home. Earlier, he helped Pakistan reach the final of the 1999 World Cup and led Bangladesh to 12 wins out of 16 T20 matches before the 2012 T20 World Cup.

In South African domestic cricket, Pybus won nine senior titles with the Titans and Cape Cobras, accomplishing three consecutive domestic doubles and earning the title of South African Coach of the Year twice.

Summary of Major Coaching Achievements