The Coach of the Afghanistan Cricket Team, Jonathan Trott, After Victory Over England

The coach of Afghanistan cricket team Jonathan Trott hopes Sunday’s World Cup victory over England will “encourage boys and girls” to take up cricket even though the country’s Taliban rulers ban women from playing sport. The victory of 69 runs will be regarded as one of the biggest shocks in the history of the tournament as Afghanistan ended a 14-match World Cup losing streak.

Trott said, “It’s not just cricket that the guys are playing for,” who recognised the importance of a win for a nation reeling from recent earthquakes and the Taliban’s fractious international relations.

Trott said, “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.

“And so, if this can give a smile to people’s faces but also encourage boys and girls to pick up a cricket bat or a cricket ball and get playing cricket wherever they are in Afghanistan, then that’s the sort of the goal that’s been achieved.”

before Sunday Afghanistan cricket team had only one match which they won in the World Cup 2015 against Scotland.