After Afghanistan’s devastating semi-final loss, Jonathan Trott said of the Taouba surface, “That’s not the pitch that you want to have a match.”

Jonathan Trott, the head coach of Afghanistan, was not shy about voicing his complaints following the game. He started off by apologising and saying he didn’t want to come across as a bitter loser or draw attention to the pitch’s state alone. He did, however, voice his strong opinion that the field was inappropriate for a cricket match—especially one involving a World Cup semifinal.

The team was thrilled with their success as they defeated Afghanistan by a stunning nine wickets to guarantee their spot in the T20 World Cup final for the first time ever. The Afghan team, on the other hand, was devastated and grieved at having their maiden ICC event final denied. It was a poor move for Rashid Khan and his squad to bat first because they were dismissed for just 56 runs.

It was not, however, a result of nerves, a brazen lack of performance on the day, or subpar batting throughout the competition. Rather, the pitch was a major factor, posing obstacles that the Afghan team could not overcome, which led to their lineup collapsing like a house of cards.

“I don’t want to get myself into trouble but obviously 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,” said Trott, according to Cricbuzz.

It must be an even competition. Not that it ought to be, mind you: Jonathan Trott

Jonathan Trott went on to say that the competition need to be impartial. He restated that he was not supporting a pitch that was entirely flat, with no spin or seam movement, which would greatly benefit the hitters. As some balls sail off that length and others barely reach shin height, he contended that batters shouldn’t be concerned about approaching deliveries landing on a back-of-a-length position due to the pitch.

According to Jonathan Trott, the perfect T20 pitch should give hitters the confidence to knock beyond the boundary and have faith in their skills. Trott was attempting to calmly make the point that the pitch should essentially present a balanced challenge for both bowlers and hitters, as opposed to one where the main goal for batters is simply to survive.

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It must be an even competition. It shouldn’t be so flat that there is no spin or seam movement, but batsmen shouldn’t have to fear about soaring over their heads when they advance to bat the ball. They should have assurance while placing their feet and possess the ability to break past barriers or apply their abilities. Jonathan Trott went on, “Twenty20 is not about trying to survive, but about attacking and scoring runs and taking wickets.