Afghanistan are on the brink of reaching the first semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup… if they can beat Australia, as Mail Sport goes behind the scenes with Jonathan Trott’s surprise package, who claims ‘the sport is more for us is then a game

Chennai. October 23. Afghanistan has steamrolled to a first-ever victory over Pakistan and the celebrations are in full swing, with raucous singing and dancing.

Assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai takes the steel lids that cover the food in the locker room and slams them together as if they were musical instruments. Then head coach Jonathan Trott joins in the dancing. The players have never seen this side of him before, but this is different.

Beating England in a World Cup was huge, but given the political undertones with Pakistan (thousands of Afghan refugees have been expelled from Pakistan in recent weeks) this victory has stirred up a different level of emotion.

“I’ve never seen scenes like that,” Trott told Mail Sport. “I’ll never understand how much it means, but I could see it in their eyes, so I felt like I had to join in.”

‘Beating England was great but we didn’t want it to be a one-off. The win against Pakistan has given us a boost.” And if they can beat Australia on Tuesday, they will be on the eve of a first World Cup semi-final.

A win against Australia on Tuesday will see them qualify for the knockouts

Jonathan Trott’s side have had a fine campaign in India, winning four of six matches, which notably upset their chances of beating England.

Given the language barrier, Trott relies on simplicity to communicate.

“I want every one of them to be an owner,” he says. “They can all play cricket. It’s about encouraging them to use their own minds and become the best players they can.”

It functions. “The biggest change under Trotty is the way he empowers the players to take responsibility,” said Mohsin Sheikh, Afghanistan’s performance analyst. “This place used to have a classroom-like environment, where the players just did what they were told because that’s the culture.

“Now we try to encourage tactical discussions and leave it to the boys because they are the ones playing.”

Training at Wankhede Stadium will begin with a meeting where Trott and his coaches reaffirm the message to the players to focus on their own strengths and have confidence that they can beat Australia. “I have said from the beginning that we are not here just to compete. We are here to win games,” he emphasizes.

Afghanistan trains tirelessly in the 35°C heat in Mumbai, with batters running between the wickets and into the nets. More than three hours later it is a struggle to get them off the field. “Their love for the game is something else,” Trott said. “These guys will blast for hours. I have to get them out for their own good. The resilience is amazing.’

Thirteen of the fifteen-member team are still in Afghanistan, where nine out of ten people live in poverty. Most of them grew up playing cricket in refugee camps in northwestern Pakistan. “Because life is so hard without cricket, this is one of their few joys,” says Jason Douglas, strength and conditioning coach.

In the evening the players meet in each other’s rooms to chat, drink tea and play Ludo. Rashid Khan’s room is the focal point. “We are like family,” said Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 80 against England. “We enjoy every moment together because we know how lucky we are.”

Speaking about his side’s victory against Jos Buttler’s side, Trott said: ‘Beating England was great but we didn’t want it to be a one-off’

Sachin Tendulkar (right) joined the team for training and spent time greeting the players

Afghanistan has only lost to New Zealand and India in the tournament so far

They will be motivated to beat Australia after Pat Cummins’ side refused to play a bilateral series against them earlier this year

Naveen ul Haq added, “Cricket is the only happiness we have. By winning competitions, we put a smile on the faces of our people. It’s more than a game for us.’

The next day, Sachin Tendulkar joins the team at training and spends three hours in the outfield, speaking to each player individually. Gurbaz says: ‘If I make a hundred against Australia, I will have to thank Sachin for what he told me.’

Afghanistan’s motivation to beat Australia is fueled by the Australians’ refusal to play Afghanistan in a bilateral series earlier this year due to the Taliban’s restriction on women’s rights.

Could there be more dancing for Trott if they conquer a fourth world champion?

“Let’s wait,” he says. “It’s emotional to see the joy they bring to their people. Our WhatsApp group is full of players sharing videos of the festivities in Kabul. The joy they provide is unparalleled.”