AFG vs BAN 2026: Toby Radford praises Sediqullah Atal's technical shift that led to maiden Test century

Sediqullah Atal scored 111 off 332 deliveries in Afghanistan's second innings during the one-off Test against Bangladesh at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, from October 9-13, 2026. Atal batted for more than eight hours on the final day to help Afghanistan reach 346 for 8 in their second innings, securing a draw in the match. His century came from 277 balls and included eight fours and three sixes, marking his first in first-class cricket and the first by an Afghan batter in a Test fourth innings.

Afghanistan's batting coach Toby Radford identified the specific technical adjustments that enabled Atal to succeed in the second innings after struggling in the first. Radford spent considerable time with Atal, who is predominantly a white-ball cricketer, focusing primarily on his defence and positioning at the crease. The coaching work centred on how Atal managed his weight distribution and footwork against different types of bowling.

Radford's analysis revealed a clear contrast between Atal's approach in the first innings and his refined technique in the second. In the opening innings, Atal struggled with his positioning and weight management, which led to him playing at deliveries outside his natural range. By the final day, Radford's coaching had helped Atal understand how to use his body more effectively at the crease.

“In the first innings, Sediq was playing at slightly wider deliveries and getting caught on the crease. Today (during the fifth day), he came further across with his guard and his head and weight were coming down the wicket - this helped him play straighter and to judge the off stump better. He left a lot of good deliveries,” said Radford as quoted by Cricbuzz.

“He also picked length well against the spinners and had a good stride forward and back. He is at his best when his weight is coming down rather than across the wicket - he did that beautifully in this wonderful innings today,” he added.

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Pybus credits Radford's coaching approach with the breakthrough

Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus recognised the significant impact of Radford's technical guidance on Atal's performance. Pybus highlighted Radford's ability to communicate complex coaching points without overwhelming the player or interfering with his natural instincts. Atal's personal determination also played a crucial role, as he had been struggling for form before this match but committed fully to implementing the technical adjustments.

“I'm not going to claim any glory for that (Sediq’s hundred) and I think all credit goes to Toby Radford and Sediq. The challenge is being able to control sessions. For us as a side, we had some sessions where let it slip and then we had to play catch-up cricket. Overall from a wicket perspective we read it pretty well. It was an outstanding innings from him (Atal). He'd been a little bit out of touch and so he worked really really hard in this innings,” Pybus said.

Pybus stated that Atal had done all the work and now only needed to carry that confidence forward in his Test career. The head coach emphasised that the team had set clear batting goals coming into the match, including the pursuit of centuries and substantial individual scores. Atal's maiden Test hundred represented a significant achievement for both the player and Afghanistan's batting development under Radford's guidance.

“He's at the beginning of his Test career and he's done all the work and now he only needs to carry that confidence forward. Credit to Sediq for turning it around. Credit to Toby Radford as he's been doing outstanding work with the batting unit. We set goals coming into this game, what we wanted to deliver as a batting team within the team. We wanted hundreds and we wanted really big hundreds," said Pybus.

"Rahmat got left short without partners in the first innings, to be able to convert his hundred and credit to Toby and the work that he's been doing with the batters. He's a very good technical coach. He understands how to be able to communicate and be able to share just enough information without interfering in their game,” he concluded.