NZ vs AFG: World Cup 2023: Afghanistan coach Trott admits dropped catches let New Zealand off the hook  

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott credited New Zealand for its medical efficiency that put the Black Caps on the high of the factors desk within the ongoing World Cup after a commanding 149-run win right here on Wednesday.

“I think that New Zealand played well, but they got themselves in a difficult position after we took quick wickets. However, we couldn’t put pressure on them for long enough. We dropped (Tom) Latham twice but credit goes to them, the way they played and steadied the ship and built themselves to a defendable total,” stated Trott after the match.

Azmatullah Omarzai was the silver lining in Afghanistan’s batting efficiency because the 23-year-old all-rounder scored 27 runs in a dropping trigger after choosing two wickets in a single over within the first innings.

READ MORE: New Zealand vs Afghanistan Highlights, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: NZ beats AFG by 149 runs

“I see him with a very bright future with both bat and ball. His batting at the moment is developing really well. I have always rated him as a bowler and his bowling has come leaps and bounds. I wanted him to bat a little longer tonight and get a few more runs but unfortunately, today, he couldn’t quite get it right,” stated the coach.

About his workforce’s total batting efficiency, Trott stated, “It certainly does not feel like the 130 pitch. Yes, it did spin a little more towards the end but I feel that the seamers did all the damage. We were 28 for two after the first PowerPlay, and when you are chasing 280, it will put a lot of pressure on the players down the order.”

Meanwhile, Mitchell Santner, who scalped three wickets, reached a big milestone by changing into solely the second Kiwi spinner to take 100 ODI wickets after Daniel Vettori.

READ MORE: England missing confidence, should get on the entrance foot at World Cup: Mott

“It’s nice to get to that milestone. I wasn’t thinking about it too much leading into the game. I was just trying to perform my role and do a job out there, just like every other game,” stated the 31-year-old.  

Santner additionally felt the pitch helped the spinners throughout the second innings.  

“It played a bit different from the one against Bangladesh. That one had more pace and bounce than this one. This looked a bit drier and it was nice to see it kind of spin a little more than the first innings,” he stated.