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Afghanistan’s impressive run in the T20 World Cup 2024 came to an end on Thursday with a crushing 9-wicket loss to South Africa in the semi-final held in Trinidad. In a departure from their previous performances, Afghanistan struggled under pressure, managing only 56 runs before being bowled out after choosing to bat first. In response, South Africa comfortably chased down the target with 66 balls remaining, securing a spot in their first ICC event final in 25 years.
Following the match, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott strongly criticized the pitch used for the game, arguing that it was unsuitable for a match of such significance. The pitch reportedly exhibited excessive lateral movement and inconsistent bounce, posing significant challenges for batsmen from both teams.
“I don’t want to get myself into trouble and I don’t want to come across as bitter or it being a case of sour grapes but that’s not the pitch that you want to have a match, a semi-final of a World Cup on, plain and simple,” Trott said at the post-match press conference.
“It should be a fair contest. I’m not saying it should be flat completely with no spin and no seam movement, I’m saying you shouldn’t have batsmen worrying about going forward. They should be confident in foot movement and be able to hit through the line or use their skills. T20 is about attacking and about scoring runs and taking wickets, not looking to survive,” he added.
Rashid Khan and his team experienced a whirlwind 40 hours leading up to their historic first-ever World Cup semifinal appearance. Following their final Super 8 match against Bangladesh, their flight to Tarouba was delayed by four hours, leaving the players fatigued ahead of the crucial game.
“We only got back to the hotel at three o’clock and then we had to leave at eight o’clock — five hours later so we didn’t get much sleep so the guys obviously were very tired and a lot to process really emotionally and physically. So all new territory for the guys,” Trott said.
