Afghanistan secured a 94-run win against Hong Kong in their T20 Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi, but coach Jonathan Trott urged his team to address inconsistencies after a shaky batting performance. Electing to bat first, Afghanistan struggled early, reaching 95-6 in 13 overs, before capitalising on a few dropped catches to post a competitive total of 188-6. Opener Sediqullah Atal top-scored with 73 runs, despite being dropped three times, including in the very first over, while Azmatullah Omarzai contributed a quickfire 53 off just 21 balls.
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Trott acknowledged the team’s fortunate moments but stressed the need for improvement ahead of the remaining group matches. “We were a bit fortunate with a few dropped catches that sort of let us off. We need to make sure we improve on a few areas for the rest of the group games,” he said. He also highlighted the benefits of a brief rest period after a hectic schedule, noting that the team had played six games in 12 days.
Afghanistan’s bowlers returned with a disciplined effort to restrict Hong Kong to 94-9, completing a comfortable victory less than 48 hours after their loss to Pakistan in the tri-series final in Sharjah. Trott emphasised that while the win was encouraging, the batters must take more responsibility going forward. “For me, it’s important some of our players need to get in some form and need to start getting runs. That’s very important,” he added.
Reflecting on the batting display, Trott praised the performances of Sediq and Azmat while acknowledging the pitch offered opportunities. “I would like us to have batted better. But then the way Sediq played and the way Azmat came in and hit the ball showed us it’s a pretty good pitch. I’m fairly happy with the total that we got, but there are still things we need to work on and make sure we’re ready for the rest of the games.”
Afghanistan’s next challenge is against Bangladesh on September 16, and Trott’s focus remains on ensuring the team finds consistency, particularly in the batting department. While the win adds momentum to their campaign, the coach’s message is clear: improvement is essential if Afghanistan is to maintain their competitiveness in the T20 Asia Cup.
