Afghanistan has made a big change after a disappointing T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. On February 24, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officially announced Richard Pybus as the new head coach of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team.
Richard Pybus joins Afghanistan as Head Coach
Richard Pybus replaces Jonathan Trott, who had been leading the side for the last four years. Trott helped Afghanistan grow strongly in international cricket, but after the team crashed out in the group stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the ACB decided to move forward with a new vision.
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The former England bowler brings a lot of experience with him. He has won the ICC Cricket World Cup three times as a head coach and director of cricket. He has huge experience at the top level and has a strong history of creating successful and well-organised cricket systems.
The ACB said in an official media release: “The Afghanistan Cricket Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Pybus as the Head Coach of the Afghanistan National Team. He will join AfghanAtalan ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka in March. Afghanistan Cricket Board warmly welcomes Richard Pybus and wishes him success in his new role as Head Coach of the Afghanistan National Team.”
Who is Richard Pybus?
Meanwhile, Richard Pybus is a globally recognised coach despite playing only one List A match for England’s Suffolk in 1986. Injuries didn’t help him to make a name for himself as a fast bowler, but Pybus established himself as one of the most successful coaches the game has ever seen.
He was part of Pakistan’s coaching staff during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, where the Men in Green lost the trophy to Australia. This stint gave him valuable experience handling pressure at the highest level. He worked with the Pakistan team in four different stints.
In 2016, Pybus joined the West Indies side as the Director of Cricket. During his stint, West Indies won the ICC T20 World Cup—both men’s and women’s—as well as the U19 World Cup trophy. It was his most successful stint at the highest level.
Not just that, Pybus, who had also applied for the India head coach role in 2017, returned as West Indies’ high-performance director. In 2019, he even served as interim head coach of the senior team. In 2012, he had a short and controversial stint as the head coach of Bangladesh.
The Powerful Profile of Richard Pybus
Additionally, Pybus played an important role in Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan and South Africa’s Faf du Plessis and Imran Tahir’s growth. One of his biggest success stories is Dale Steyn. Pybus worked with the former South African fast bowler and helped him grow as one of the world’s most feared and respected bowlers.
Not just that, Pybus is also highly educated and deeply involved in performance science. In 2022, he received a doctorate in professional practice from Middlesex University in London. His research focused on the “Optimal Performance System.”
This system is designed to help teams and individuals perform at their best again and again, even under pressure and in different cultures. Also, Pybus is a Level Four CSA Certified Coach, which is one of the highest coaching qualifications in South Africa.
Pybus also has an Executive Coaching Certificate from the Neuroleadership Institute. He also won the South African Cricket Coach of the Year twice.
