Trott admits Afghanistan were unaware of NRR permutations

Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott opened up on the qualification scenario blunder during must-win Asia Cup group clash against Sri Lanka as the title-holders reached the Asia Cup Super-4 stage with two-run win in Lahore on Tuesday.

Needing to overhaul a target of 292 in 37.1 overs to oust Sri Lanka on net run-rate, Afghanistan fell agonisingly short as Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out with three needed from the first ball of the 38th over.

They could still have qualified by reaching 295 within 37.4 overs but appeared to not be aware of that permutation as number 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi blocked out two deliveries before being dismissed while attempting another defensive shot with six needed to go through.

Trott stated the match officials did not inform his team of the finer NRR permutations.

Notably, fans slammed Afghanistan's support staff, including their analyst, after the team potentially missed out on a place in the Super Fours due to a blunder in understanding the qualification scenario.

"We were never communicated those calculations," Trott said in the post match press conference.

"All we were communicated was we needed to win in 37.1 overs. We weren't told what the overs in which we could get 295 or 297. [That we could win in] 38.1 overs was never communicated to us."

Trott refused to pinpoint a single reason for Afghanistan's exit, but believed his bowlers should have performed better in both this game and their last one against Bangladesh, in which they gave a first-innings total of 334.

"I don't think there's one reason we lost the game," Trott said. "There are areas of the game we could have done better [in] and that goes for today's game and the one against Bangladesh. We got some things horribly wrong in a few areas and it's cost us. It'd be nice if we'd bowled them out a bit cheaper. But it wasn't to be."