Pallekele: Harry Brook produced a captain’s knock for the ages, becoming the first skipper to score a century in T20 World Cup history as England sealed a tense two-wicket win over Pakistan and became the first team to confirm a semifinal berth in the 2026 tournament.
On a surface that again favoured spin, Pakistan chose to bat first in search of scoreboard pressure. Early setbacks, however, disrupted their plans. Saim Ayub fell attempting an aggressive pull, while Salman Agha’s brief stay ended soon after. With wickets tumbling, Sahibzada Farhan once more anchored the innings, counterattacking during the PowerPlay with a flurry of boundaries against Jofra Archer and Jamie Overton.
Babar Azam started positively but found run-scoring difficult once England’s spinners settled. Adil Rashid applied sustained pressure through tight lines and variations, and Overton eventually removed Babar for 25. Fakhar Zaman injected momentum with a brisk cameo, combining with Farhan to push Pakistan past the 100-run mark.
Just when Pakistan looked set for a late surge at 112/3 after 15 overs, England clawed back. Overton trapped Farhan with a fuller delivery, and Liam Dawson’s disciplined left-arm spin (3/24) triggered a collapse through the death overs. Despite a few lusty blows, Pakistan closed on 164/9 — competitive on the sluggish track but potentially vulnerable with dew forecast.
Pakistan’s defence began emphatically. The returning Shaheen Afridi ripped through England’s top order, striking with his opening delivery to dismiss Phil Salt before removing Jos Buttler cheaply. Jacob Bethell’s early exit left England wobbling at 30/3.
Brook, promoting himself to No. 3, responded with controlled aggression. He dominated the PowerPlay, taking advantage of the fielding restrictions and unsettling Pakistan’s spin options with clean hitting down the ground and behind square. Even after Usman Tariq’s breakthrough reduced England to 58/4, Brook held firm.
With a deep batting unit behind him, Brook rebuilt alongside Will Jacks. The pair rotated strike smartly while punishing loose deliveries, gradually shifting the equation. Tariq and Nawaz managed occasional strikes, including Sam Curran’s dismissal, but Jacks’ positive intent ensured England stayed ahead of the rate.
Brook then accelerated decisively. Targeting Afridi’s final over, he advanced down the track for a towering six and followed up with a boundary to bring up a landmark hundred — his maiden T20I century and a World Cup first for a captain. Afridi responded with a pinpoint yorker to end Brook’s innings, yet England required only 10 more runs.
A late wobble briefly raised Pakistan’s hopes as England lost quick wickets attempting expansive strokes. Entering the final over needing three runs with two wickets in hand, England avoided further drama when Archer pulled the first ball to the boundary, clinching victory with five deliveries to spare.
Afridi’s superb 4/30 stood out for Pakistan, but Brook’s extraordinary century ultimately defined the contest, propelling England into the semifinals and complicating Pakistan’s path to qualification.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 164/9 in 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 63; Liam Dawson 3-24, Jamie Overton 2-26) lost to England 166/8 in 19.1 overs (Harry Brook 100; Shaheen Afridi 4-30) by 2 wickets
