Richard Pybus Takes Over as Afghanistan's Head Coach, Replaces Jonathan Trott

Richard Pybus has been appointed as the new head coach of the Afghanistan cricket team, replacing Jonathan Trott, who stepped down after the team's exit from the T20 World Cup 2026. Pybus, a seasoned coach with a distinguished international career, will take charge ahead of Afghanistan's white-ball series against Sri Lanka in the UAE, starting March 13. Richard Pybus had a brief playing career due to injuries, playing only one List A match for Suffolk in 1986. However, he found success as a coach, leading teams like Pakistan and West Indies. He was Pakistan's head coach from 1999-2003, guiding them to the 1999 ODI World Cup final. Pybus also had stints with Bangladesh and West Indies, serving as head coach and director of cricket, and helping West Indies win multiple ICC titles in 2016. He also had stints with Middlesex in England country cricket, and Border as well as the Titans in South Africa's domestic leagues. His past experience might be crucial to reviving the fortunes of Afghanistan, who suffered a group-stage exit at the ongoing T20 World Cup, after losing their first two matches to New Zealand and South Africa respectively, in what had been dubbed as this year's 'group of death'. He will join the team in March in UAE, where they will play Sri Lanka in three ODIs and three T20Is between March 13 to 25. Pybus has previously served as head coach of Pakistan and the West Indies, guiding Pakistan to the 1999 Cricket World Cup final and leading the West Indies to a historic treble in 2016, with their men's, women's, and U-19 teams winning ICC World Cup titles. He has also worked with prominent players like Mohammad Rizwan, Faf du Plessis, and Dale Steyn.