ODI World Cup 2023: It's Not Just Cricket That Afghanistan Are Playing For, Says Coach Jonathan Trott After England Win

Afghanistan's victory over England in the ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday, according to head coach Jonathan Trott, will provide cause for celebration in the nation, which is still reeling from the earthquake's devastation and loss.

At Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, Afghanistan won their second World Cup, defeating England by 69 runs.

"The boys are playing for more than simply cricket. In the post-match presentation, Trott stated, "The guys are very knowledgeable of the things and the hardship that some people are going through because of the natural disaster and for various other reasons."

"Therefore, the sort of goal that's been accomplished is that this can make people happy wherever they are in the world while also inspiring boys and girls to pick up a cricket bat or ball and start playing cricket wherever they are in Afghanistan." And it's fantastic. And then develop the sport as well as the game and the attention and publicity this side will bring to the nation," he continued.

Afghanistan was asked to bat first after England won the toss. Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave the team the ideal start with an 80-run blitz off 57 balls that included eight fours and four sixes. With his strike and Ikram Alikhil's fifty-eight overs, Afghanistan reached 284/10 in 49.5 overs. In terms of bowling, Mohammad Nabi claimed two dismissals, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan each claimed three wickets.

On a spin-friendly ground, Trott said Afghanistan's score was 'good' enough to provide confidence in their bowlers. This victory will have a "knock-on effect" in the competition, he continued.

"We believed we had a respectable total, but the players bowled and fielded well above what we had expected. Thus, in my opinion, it's really encouraging and will hopefully inspire a great deal of confidence when playing against the more powerful countries. It will also hopefully have a positive impact on all the other games, not just this World Cup but also in the future," added Trott.

"The exact potential of cricket in Afghanistan. We respect every opponent, and I tell the men as much, but we don't fear anyone. Hopefully, this will be the kind of kick-start it is. I know our opposition will be in our next game. I'm not saying they weren't watching us closely, but they might look at the video again. We come here to play games, and I think the goal of every game is to win," he continued.

Afghanistan took the lead in the standings and took sixth position, while Australia, the five-time champions, slipped to the bottom after losing their previous two games.

Afghanistan's next game is scheduled for October 18 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai against undefeated New Zealand.