Jonathan Trott appointed head coach of Pretoria Capitals

New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): Jonathan Trott has been named the new head coach of the Pretoria Capitals for the upcoming SA20 season, replacing Graham Ford, who vacated the position last month, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Currently, Trott is the head coach of the Afghanistan national team, a role he has held since 2022. His contract, renewed in January, is set to run through the end of 2024.

However, it is uncertain if the 43-year-old will remain in this position beyond that period. The SA20 league will take place in January 2025, which does not conflict with his current international duties. Despite this, there has been no confirmation regarding whether Trott will extend his contract with Afghanistan, which is due to expire in December.

The Capitals are undergoing significant changes after parting ways with Ricky Ponting, ending his seven-year tenure with the Delhi franchise. Pretoria’s decision to release Graham Ford followed a challenging second season in which they secured only three victories and finished fifth. This was a stark contrast to their debut season in 2023, where they topped the table and finished as runners-up.

Jonathan Trott has enjoyed notable success as head coach of Afghanistan, significantly improving the team’s performance in global tournaments. Despite their talent in shorter formats, Afghanistan had only won a single match in ICC tournaments before Trott’s tenure. Over the past nine months, they have defeated major teams such as Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Bangladesh during the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20I World Cups, ultimately reaching the semi-finals of the latter before losing to South Africa.

Trott is also being considered for England’s limited-overs head coach position, although he is seen as an outside contender. A decision on the future of the current head coach, Matthew Mott, is expected soon. Trott, who earned 127 caps for England, has previously coached the Under-19 and Lions teams and is currently serving as assistant coach of the Trent Rockets in the men’s Hundred.