“Bangladesh Has Been Champion?” Afghan Coach Was Wrong

Bangladesh began their Asia Cup campaign with a hard-fought win against Hong Kong but are now at risk of being knocked out after a loss to Sri Lanka. In contrast, Afghanistan, having thrashed Hong Kong convincingly, are brimming with confidence. This makes the upcoming match against Nabi and Rashid’s side a true do-or-die encounter for Bangladesh. A loss here would effectively mean elimination, while a win keeps the Tigers in the race for a semi-final spot.

Ahead of such a crucial match, Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott, made headlines. At a pre-match press conference, when asked by journalists, he immediately remarked, “Bangladesh has been champions in this tournament several times.”

The Afghan media manager present quickly corrected him. But Trott was reluctant to accept the mistake. He even added, “I thought they won the Asia Cup in the 50-over format.” It was clarified once more that Bangladesh has reached the final three times but has never won the title. Trott looked surprised and, with a slightly disappointed tone, finally said, “I thought they had been champions.”

He then returned to the main topic. Cautious about Bangladesh’s strength, the Afghan coach said, “Bangladesh has players who can win matches. This will be a big test for us. We have had a break and are mentally and physically refreshed, and we are eager to take the field tomorrow.”

Bangladesh first played Afghanistan in a T20 match in 2014. SAKIB-Al-Mushfiq led Bangladesh to an easy 9-wicket victory. At that time, Afghanistan was an ICC associate member, new to the international stage. But in just a decade, the picture has completely changed. Afghanistan is now not only a full member but has also surpassed Bangladesh in several areas, particularly in the T20 format, where they have consistently displayed dominance. Statistics confirm this: out of 12 encounters between the two teams, Afghanistan has won 7, while Bangladesh has only won 5.

Trott, recalling this, said, “Matches against Bangladesh have always been competitive. We are expecting another good match tomorrow (16 September), but we hope to come out on top.”