Jonathan Trott warns Afghanistan after Hong Kong rout in Asia Cup: We've won nothing

Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott was far from satisfied with his team’s display in their opening Asia Cup 2025 match against Hong Kong, despite coming away with a comfortable victory. The former England batter felt the performance lacked sharpness and said the side was rescued by moments of individual brilliance rather than a collective effort.

While the scorecard suggested Afghanistan were in control, Trott pointed out that Hong Kong’s dropped catches and lapses in the field had given his team breathing room. “We started averagely today. We were a bit fortunate with a few dropped catches that sort of let us off. We need to make sure we improve in a few areas for the rest of the group games,” Trott told ESPNcricinfo.

Afghanistan’s batting card highlighted the issue. Only Sediqullah Atal (73), Azmatullah Omarzai (53) and veteran Mohammad Nabi (33) made meaningful contributions. The rest of the batting order failed to reach double figures, underlining the inconsistency Trott is eager to address.

“We need players to take responsibility. Some of our players need to get in form and start scoring runs,” he said. “I would have liked us to bat better, but the way Sediq and Azmat batted showed it was a good pitch. I’m fairly happy with the total we got, but there are still things we need to work on.”

Fielding, too, was a concern. Trott admitted Afghanistan were let off by Hong Kong’s mistakes, and warned that against stronger opposition, such sloppiness could prove costly.

The win nevertheless came as relief after what Trott described as a “hectic schedule”—six matches in 12 days. Afghanistan now have a short break before taking on Bangladesh (September 16) and Sri Lanka (September 18) in crucial group-stage fixtures.

Despite Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket, which includes a historic run to the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals, Trott was quick to temper expectations. “We’ve won nothing. Let’s just make that clear. We’re an up-and-coming side and we’ve got a lot of work to do,” he stressed.

For Rashid Khan’s men, the message is clear -- flashes of brilliance will not be enough if they are to mount a serious challenge for their maiden major title.