How Ajay Jadeja and Jonathan Trott were selected for coaching the Afghanistan cricket team

The Afghanistan cricket team has emerged as the most exciting team in during the ICC World Cup 2023, especially after their stunning victory over the defending champions, England, which stands as one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

Despite a shaky start with two initial losses, the young team of cricketers showcased an all-round performance that astonished the world.

Two figures, in addition to the team, deserve equal credit for the rapid turnaround of the Afghanistan team: the Head Coach, Jonathan Trott, and the newly inducted mentor, Ajay Jadeja. The story of their recruitment into the team is also fascinating.

How Jonathan Trott wes roped in as the Head Coach of Afghanistan

• Few are aware that the initial choice for the coach of the Afghanistan cricket team was former England cricketer, Graham Thorpe.
• He took over as the Head Coach in March 2022, replacing Lance Klusener, who had resigned after two years as Afghanistan’s Head Coach.
• However, two months into his tenure, Thorpe fell seriously ill and was hospitalized. Reports suggested he would be away from the field for an extended period, prompting Afghanistan to seek a new coach.
• The Afghanistan Cricket Board (AFB) initiated a search for a Head Coach, leading to the recruitment of Jonathan Trott.
  Initially unfamiliar with the local Pashto language spoken by the players, Trott occasionally relied on a translator to communicate with the team.
• Despite the language barrier, Trott expressed his enthusiasm for working with the Afghanistan team, whom he referred to as a "hotbed of talent."

Why was Ajay Jadeja hired by Afghanistan?

• The decision to appoint former Indian cricketer, Ajay Jadeja, as the mentor of the Afghanistan team was a last-minute choice before the team's arrival in India for the World Cup.
• Jadeja was brought in to mentor the Afghanistan team, providing them with insights into the Indian conditions and assisting them psychologically in coping with the pressures of the game.
• Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi stated that Jadeja's role was not focused on improving their skills but rather on guiding the players through the mental aspects of the game.
• Shahidi emphasized, "As a mentor, he always talks about how to handle pressure and play against these teams. He can't work on the specifics of batting, bowling, and other technical aspects. His focus is on building our mental strength and teaching us how to handle pressure from the opposition. So far, it's proving to be beneficial."
• Alongside Jadeja's mentorship, Afghanistan also enlisted Hamid Khan as the bowling coach, Riyan Maron as the fielding coach, and Raees Ahmedzai as the fielding coach.