Afghanistan national cricket team are considering changes to their leadership structure following a group-stage exit at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Despite entering the tournament with strong expectations and a well-rounded squad, Afghanistan failed to collect enough points to progress to the Super 8 stage, with losses to New Zealand national cricket team and South Africa national cricket team proving decisive.
Led by Rashid Khan, the side displayed moments of quality but lacked consistency at key stages. Rashid, regarded as one of the leading T20 bowlers globally, is now under scrutiny as the board reviews tactical decisions and team combinations while planning its future white-ball approach.
Afghanistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Naseeb Khan confirmed that discussions are ongoing about possible structural and leadership adjustments. While no final decision has been taken regarding the captaincy, the board has already begun reshaping the support staff to improve long-term competitiveness.
Naseeb stated that reforms are being considered as part of building for the future. He noted that changes have already been made to the head coach, batting coach and trainer, and further adjustments within the team could follow. However, he clarified that no decision has yet been made on whether the captaincy will change.
Afghanistan have appointed experienced coach Richard Pybus to guide the team through a rebuilding phase after the World Cup setback. Pybus, who previously coached Pakistan to the 1999 World Cup final, replaces Jonathan Trott, whose tenure ended after the tournament.
Upcoming Fixtures
Afghanistan will next face Sri Lanka national cricket team in a three-match T20I series starting March 13 in Sharjah, followed by a three-match ODI series in Dubai from March 20.
The team is also scheduled to tour India in June for a multi-format series featuring a one-off Test and three ODIs. The Test match will take place in New Chandigarh from June 6, marking only the second Test meeting between the two sides since their first encounter in 2018 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The ODI series will begin on June 14 in Dharamshala, with subsequent matches in Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20.
