Jonathan Trott Becomes New Head Coach of Pretoria Capitals

Jonathan Trott has been named the new head coach of the Pretoria Capitals for the upcoming SA20 season, replacing Graham Ford. Trott is currently the head coach of the Afghanistan national team, a role he has held since 2022. His contract with Afghanistan is set to run through the end of 2024, but it is uncertain if he will remain in this position beyond that period.

The SA20 league will take place in January 2025, which does not conflict with his current international duties. However, there has been no confirmation regarding whether Trott will extend his contract with Afghanistan, which is due to expire in December.

The Pretoria Capitals are undergoing significant changes after parting ways with Ricky Ponting, ending his seven-year tenure with the Delhi franchise. The decision to release Graham Ford followed a challenging second season in which they secured only three victories and finished fifth. This was a stark contrast to their debut season in 2023, where they topped the table and finished as runners-up.

Jonathan Trott has enjoyed notable success as head coach of Afghanistan, significantly improving the team’s performance in global tournaments. Over the past nine months, they have defeated major teams such as Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Bangladesh during the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20I World Cups, ultimately reaching the semi-finals of the latter before losing to South Africa.

Trott is also being considered for England’s limited-overs head coach position, although he is seen as an outside contender. A decision on the future of the current head coach, Matthew Mott, is expected soon. Trott, who earned 127 caps for England, has previously coached the Under-19 and Lions teams and is currently serving as assistant coach of the Trent Rockets in the men’s Hundred.