Changes galore in Afghanistan camp after T20 World Cup exit

While the majority of the pundits feel Afghanistan are doing well in the T20 format, their performances in ACC and ICC events have hardly justified that claim. The board has already rung the changes in the team management, appointing Toby Radford as batting coach ahead of the World Cup and drafting in Richard Pybus in place of long-serving Jonathan Trott following their exit from T20 World Cup 2026. Naseeb confirmed that Pybus is expected to join the team following the white-ball assignment against Sri Lanka, scheduled in Dubai and Sharjah from March.

Whether a similar change in leadership will follow remains to be seen. “If you are building a team for the future, changes are inevitable. We have already changed the head coach, batting coach, and trainer, and similar adjustments will also be made within the team,” ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan told Cricbuzz. “However, no final decision has been made regarding the captains yet, so I cannot say at this stage whether they will be changed or retained.”

The ACB is keen to get the wheels moving as soon as possible, with an eye on having an established unit before their India tour in June. For now, the Sri Lanka series will be the cynosure of all eyes, which could turn out to be a litmus test for a new captain should Rashid eventually have to make way for the next leader.