Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott has lauded Azmatullah Omarzai for his all-round performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 and expressed his excitement about watching the next IPL auction when the all-rounder’s name is called.
Azmat Omarzai rose to prominence during the 2023 World Cup, impressing everyone with batting and bowling skills. With 353 runs in nine matches, the young all-round talent ended as Afghanistan’s second-highest run scorer during the tournament and has shown the ability to bowl at different phases of the game.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jonathan Trott said Omarzai has a lot of raw potential and praised his work ethic. The all-rounder’s ability to stroke the ball amazed the Afghanistan coach, who also expressed hope that he would develop into a brilliant player for the club and stated his eagerness to see the IPL auction when Omarzai’s name was mentioned.
“Well, there’s plenty of raw talent, but it’s the case with a guy like Azmat, very ambitious but also works incredibly hard, good work ethic. And as a coach, when that’s already there, you know, that makes the job a lot easier,” he added.
“For Azmat, I’ve obviously seen him for a year and three months, four months, and I’ve always been amazed at how he can time the ball. We saw the other night, second, third ball, he hit Mitchell Starc over his head, or over mid-off even, for six. Same thing today, over mid-off. And very rarely do you see players who can time the ball and the sound the ball makes when it comes off his bat”.
“Very special talent and I think hopefully will only develop and become a fantastic player for Afghanistan. I’m anxious to watch the IPL auction when his name comes up,” Jonathan Trott said.
In the match against South Africa, Omarzai showed off his batting prowess by amassing his highest-ever ODI total of 97 runs, clean hitting and quick running between the wickets characterized his innings. Despite the team’s rough beginnings, where they went from 41/0 to 116/6—Omarzai remained cool under pressure and spearheaded his attacking batting against the South African bowlers to help their side reach a respectable total in the game.
