Asia Cup 2025: We need to get cracking, Afghanistan coach Trott says

Dubai: Afghanistan may have suffered a heavy defeat to Pakistan in the Tri-Series final, but head coach Jonathan Trott insists the setback will not dent his side’s confidence heading into the Asia Cup 2025.

“We’ve got a few things to brush up on with the Asia Cup around the corner,” Trott said. “It’s important we dust ourselves off, get cracking again, and be ready for a very important game in Abu Dhabi.”

Placed in a group alongside Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong, Afghanistan begin their campaign against Hong Kong on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Trott stressed that team selection would depend heavily on conditions,

“We’ll have to see what the pitch is like before naming the XI. The balance of our side often depends on conditions, so it’s about making sure we get those things right to be at our best.”

In the Tri-Series decider, Mohammad Nawaz produced a career-best performance, claiming 5 for 19—including a hat-trick—as Pakistan bowled Afghanistan out for just 66 in 15.5 overs while defending a modest total of 142 on a difficult Sharjah surface.

Trott, however, dismissed concerns about Afghanistan’s ability to handle pressure in big matches. “The more the boys play in finals and high-pressure games, the more comfortable they’ll get at crossing the line. We’ve done it before in bilateral series. Pakistan played well in the final, we didn’t—but we know what needs improving. I’m fully confident heading into the Asia Cup. We’ll address it calmly and keep building.”

Afghanistan had started the Tri-Series strongly, beating the UAE twice before overpowering Pakistan in the group stage. Trott highlighted the importance of learning from the final, particularly Afghanistan’s struggles when chasing on spin-friendly wickets. “No team really managed to chase in Sharjah, and while that’s not an excuse, it was valuable experience. Finals are different pressure, and we need to get better at chasing when the ball is turning. We’ve done it before, but this time the batters didn’t quite pick the right options.”

For Hong Kong, Tuesday’s match marks their fifth Asia Cup appearance and second in the T20I format, having booked their spot through victory in the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup.