Teams must not ‘pigeonhole’ Test cricket, India right to back spin-heavy approach: Jonathan Trott

Former England batter and current Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott believes teams must not “pigeonhole” Test cricket into one rigid style, insisting the format’s strength lies in its diverse approaches.

He also noted that there is nothing wrong in India embracing a spin-heavy method that suits their conditions.

India’s decision to go with a dry, ‘underprepared’ surface badly misfired in the opening Test in Kolkata, allowing world champion South Africa to seize control and eventually sweep the two-match rubber, which was its first Test series win in India in 25 years.

“When you go to India, you know it’s going to spin. You go to Sri Lanka, it’s going to spin. When you go to Australia, it’s going to be pacey and bouncy,” said Trott, the head coach of Gulf Giants in the ongoing International League T20 during a select media interaction here.

“You don’t want to suddenly have a roll. That’s what makes cricket so great. That’s what’s always a challenge as a player and for somebody like me now as a coach — to be able to coach in those different conditions and excel. That’s the most important thing.”

The former batter, who also represented England in 68 ODIs and retired from international cricket in 2015 after a stellar career interrupted by a stress-related Ashes withdrawal, cautioned against nostalgia-driven criticism of modern cricket.

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“You saw the contrasting styles, the way Shubman Gill, the India captain, led from the front and then you can see the difference in the way Ben Stokes approached (with Bazball style),” he said, referring to India’s 2-2 draw in England last summer.

“Don’t forget there was a day and age where we thought cricket was boring and there were too many draws… Now we’re saying that cricket’s too short and there are too many wins and losses. So we’ve got to be careful that we don’t always think the grass is greener,” Trott said.

“So, I think we’ve got to be careful in that we don’t try and pigeonhole Test cricket and ODI and what we should do is try and embrace the way that this team plays Test cricket or this team plays ODI cricket.

“That’s what makes cricket interesting, everybody has a different approach to it,” said Trott, whose decorated career also saw him rise to the world’s No.1 Test ranking with England winning Down Under in 2010-2011.

Trott’s decorated career also saw him rise to the world’s No.1 Test ranking with England winning Down Under in 2010-2011.
| Photo Credit:
AP

On England’s attacking ‘Bazball’ style, which has attracted criticism, the former England top-order batter defended the approach.

“I think you need to embrace the way that you think is going to give you the best chance of winning. That’s the way that Brendon (McCullum) and (Ben) Stokes see their chances down in Australia. They are going to back it. They have lost games before and ended up winning series as well. I wouldn’t bet against England in Australia,” Trott said.

Asked about the proposal for four-day Tests, the 44-year-old coach was unequivocal: “No”.

Calls for structured calendar

Trott, who also sits on the Sourav Ganguly-led ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, spoke on the proliferation of franchise leagues around the world and called for a need for structured calendars.

“I certainly feel there should be maybe windows of international cricket and windows of franchise cricket, and where the international sides and the franchises are when they play their tournaments. So that everyone can live together and everyone can make the game and sell the game and get more people interested.

“So people watching the game know, ‘look, this month this is going to be franchise cricket everywhere around the world, and in the next month or so it’s going to be international cricket’,” he said.

“I was watching the highlights of the South Africa-India Test in Kolkata, and that stadium looked full for a Test match. Also, I certainly feel the ODI game is a good product.

“You certainly see World Cups, there’s a lot of interest. I know there’ll be a lot of interest in the next 50-over World Cup in South Africa (in 2027).

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“I think we’ve got to look after the game, and we’ve got to find the right amount of time and certainly interest in the game is there. We’ve just got to manage it right.”

Afghanistan is in the ‘group of death’ clubbed with South Africa and New Zealand in Group D in the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February. But Trott believes his side can still make the Super Eights like they did last time in USA and the Caribbean.

“We have got out of a tough group from the West Indies and would look to do that again.”

Published on Dec 03, 2025