Brief scores: England (168/8 in 19.1 ov) beat Pakistan (164/9 in 20 ov) by 2 wickets in Pallekele in a Super 8 match.
ENG vs PAK T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Harry Brook produced one of the finest knocks of his brief captaincy tenure as England became the first team to qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals. On Tuesday, February 24, Brook became the first-ever captain to score a century in the tournament’s history, guiding his side to a two-wicket victory over Pakistan in a crucial Super 8 clash at the Pallekele International Stadium.
Salman Agha, meanwhile, became the first skipper to opt to bat first at Pallekele in the ongoing competition, but the decision proved costly as England chased down the 165-run target with five balls to spare. With five runs required off 12 deliveries, England briefly stuttered, but Jofra Archer held his nerve and struck the winning boundary off Salman Mirza to seal the contest and ensure England had the final say.
Pakistan now find themselves in deep trouble as they head into their final Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka in a must-win situation. However, even a victory may not be enough, as their semifinal hopes hinge on other results going in their favour.
The win also extended England’s unbeaten record against Pakistan in T20 World Cups to 4-0, further underlining their dominance over their Asian rivals in global tournaments.
England entered the World Cup on the back of a 3-0 series sweep against Sri Lanka, and with Tuesday’s victory, they have extended their unbeaten run on Sri Lankan soil to 5-0 this year. It was a result made possible in large part by Harry Brook, who batted at No.3 for the first time in his international career since making his debut in 2022.
FARHAN CARRIES PAKISTAN AGAIN
After opting to bat first, Pakistan put up what looked like a par score of 164 for nine on the board. Saim Ayub’s poor run of form continued after Jofra Archer undid him with a sharp short ball that hurried him for pace.
Salman Agha tried to take the aggressive route early in his innings but ended up throwing his wicket away to Liam Dawson. While wickets kept falling at regular intervals in the powerplay, Sahibzada Farhan held firm at one end and played the role of stabiliser to steady the innings.
Farhan, fresh from his maiden T20I century against Namibia kept the boundaries flowing through the middle overs and brought up his half-century off 37 deliveries.
Babar Azam, who has been under criticism for his strike rate in recent times, began in positive fashion, striking Archer for back-to-back fours. However, he slowed down considerably as the innings progressed and crawled to 25 at a strike rate of 104.16 before Jamie Overton dismissed him.
Fakhar Zaman, batting for the first time in the competition, chipped in with a handy cameo of 25 off 16 balls. Just when he appeared ready to accelerate in the death overs, Adil Rashid accounted for his wicket.
Farhan, meanwhile, continued to anchor the innings with another knock of substance, finishing with 63 runs that included seven fours and two sixes. It was eventually Shadab Khan who provided the late flourish, smashing 23 off just 11 deliveries to push Pakistan past the 160-run mark.
Dawson emerged as the pick of England’s bowlers with impressive figures of 4-0-24-3, while Archer and Overton chipped in with two wickets apiece.
SHAHEEN STRIKES EARLY
Pakistan couldn’t have asked for a better start while defending 164, as Shaheen Shah Afridi wreaked havoc early on. Shaheen, who had been dropped for the clash against Namibia, returned to the playing XI in place of Faheem Ashraf and repaid his captain’s faith immediately.
With the very first ball of his spell, he dismissed Phil Salt with a delivery that seamed off the surface and caught the batter’s outside edge. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also praised Shaheen for hitting the deck hard and generating movement off the pitch rather than relying solely on his trademark inswinger.
In his second over, Shaheen struck again, removing Jos Buttler after inducing a false stroke from the former England skipper. During this phase, Jacob Bethell was handed a lifeline when Usman Tariq dropped him at short fine leg. However, Shaheen ensured the reprieve did not prove costly, eventually dismissing Bethell to give Tariq some much-needed relief.
BROOK SPECIAL TAKES ENGLAND HOME
While Shaheen was among the wickets, Harry Brook continued to play his shots fluently and looked the only English batter to have truly gauged the conditions and measure the bowling. Usman Tariq made amends for his earlier dropped catch by dismissing Tom Banton in his very first over. Shortly after, Saim Ayub followed Tariq’s now-familiar routine, pausing briefly between deliveries — the same pause that has recently drawn attention around Tariq.
Brook raced to his fifty off just 28 balls, but at the halfway stage, with England still needing 83 runs, the contest hung in the balance. Sensing that Tariq had three overs remaining, Brook shifted gears and targeted Shadab Khan, plundering 17 runs in the 11th over to swing momentum England’s way. Just as Brook threatened to take the game away, Tariq removed Sam Curran for 16, breaking a potentially dangerous 45-run stand.
With 41 required off the last five overs and Brook well set, England held the edge. The 17th over proved decisive as Tariq conceded 14 runs, pushing England into a commanding position. Brook brought up his century off 50 balls with a boundary before Shaheen dismissed him, but the innings — studded with 10 fours and four sixes — had already taken England to the brink.
Will Jacks chipped in with a valuable 28 to ensure England stayed ahead of the game. Despite a brief wobble late on, England crossed the finish line. Shaheen returned impressive figures of 4-0-30-4, but his efforts were not enough to prevent Pakistan’s defeat.
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