NEWS
Follow UsAfghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott believes that his side are not just reliant on their spinners, but the pace bowlers, too have a job to do on a spin-friendly wicket in Chennai.
"The thing is - with spinners, there are only two or three of them playing a game. And it's the other eight as well that have to play the game, so that's important. So, it's everybody's job it's not just the spinners' job to win games," Trott said ahead of the Pakistan clash.
"There's batsmen who've got to put runs on the board or batsmen who've got to chase down a total. So yes, the spinners are important and getting our selection is key for the fixture but it's a team effort. There's no reliance on just spinners. There's seam bowlers as well who've got to bowl well and bowl well in whatever conditions we're confronted with."
Afghanistan and Pakistan have had a rivalry brewing between them over the last year or so. Trott believes that it is something that excites his players. "I think for them, it's a rivalry that excites them. I think it's a rivalry that sometimes, in the past, has been very passionate. We've seen Asia Cup clashes and matches that have been very exciting. No closer than the T20 Asia Cup last year, where it went down with Pakistan won by one wicket," Trott said.
"So, we've had very close games as well. So, they've been very good, very interesting and exciting games. Hopefully, tomorrow isn't very exciting and we win by a lot. But I'm sure we'll see an exciting game tomorrow. It's just the nature of the rivalry, I should say. And both teams, I think, respect each other but are very desperate to win. So, I'm looking forward to it."
Afghanistan have shown in the tournament that they are more comfortable in setting targets rather than chasing one. Winning the toss has not necessarily led to winning the match. However, Trott is of the opinion that his side have to do well whatever they have been asked to do first.
"As you've seen throughout the World Cup, you know winning the toss doesn't necessarily mean that you've got an advantage in the game. So, it's about making sure whatever you do first, you put the opposition under pressure whatever you do first," Trott explained.
"So, if you're bowling first, you make sure you take your catches and you bowl accurately, and you restrict them to a total you can chase. Irrespective of the pitch or the dew factors that come in.
"So, we've got to play cricket well from the start. It's nothing to do with batting or bowling first. We've got to be better at the start. We saw against England we were good at the start and we managed to get a victory. Against New Zealand, we weren't that great, and we put ourselves under pressure. So tomorrow, hopefully, that turns around again."
After winning their first two games, Pakistan have now lost two in a row and, as a result, have put themselves in a situation where they have to win this game. It's a similar situation for Afghanistan, who have tasted victory in just one of their four matches.
Trott believes that in a match like this, it is less about the form and more about the rivalry and the history the two sides share.
"I don't think there's any thoughts with regards to their [Pakistan's] previous matches. I think when Afghanistan plays Pakistan, I think there's, you know, that a lot of form doesn't come into the game. There's a lot of other things that come into the game with regards to the rivalry and the history of and the passion of everything," Trott reckons.
"So, we know the Pakistan team will be very determined to win tomorrow and certainly want to sort of snap that losing streak of the two games that you just mentioned. But again, we want to win just as much as they do, so that should be good."
