Afghanistan are considering changes to their leadership structure following a disappointing group stage exit at the FIFA Men’s T20 World Cup, prompting a period of reflection at the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Despite entering the tournament with high expectations and a balanced squad, Afghanistan failed to secure enough points to advance to the Super 8 stage, with defeats against New Zealand and South Africa proving costly.
Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan showed flashes of brilliance but struggled with consistency at key moments. Rashid, one of the world’s leading T20 bowlers, now faces scrutiny over tactical decisions and team combinations as the board evaluates the next phase of its white-ball strategy.
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan confirmed that discussions are underway on potential structural and management adjustments. While no final call has been made for the captaincy, the board has already initiated changes to the support staff to strengthen the team’s long-term competitiveness.
“We are currently looking at reforms within the team. If you are building a team for the future, changes are inevitable. We have already changed the head coach, batting coach and coach and similar adjustments will be made in the team as well,” Naseeb 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,” added Naseeb.
Afghanistan recently appointed veteran coach Richard Pybus to lead the team through a rebuilding phase after the T20 World Cup failure. Pybus, who previously coached Pakistan to the 1999 World Cup finals, he replaces Jonathan Trott, whose tenure ended after the tournament.
WHEN WILL AFGHANISTAN PLAY NEXT?
After the World Cup disappointment, Afghanistan will take on Sri Lanka 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 comprising a one-off Test and three ODIs. The Test match will be held in New Chandigarh from June 6, which will be only the second red-ball meeting between the two sides since their inaugural Test in 2018 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The ODI series will begin on June 14 in Dharamshala, followed by matches in Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
March 3, 2026 4:02 PM IST
