Pakistan vs England

In a thrilling encounter at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 24, 2026, England secured a dramatic two-wicket victory over Pakistan, becoming the first team to officially qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinals.

Brook’s Captain’s Knock Seals the Deal

The story of the match was undoubtedly Harry Brook. Chasing a target of 165, England’s top order crumbled early under a fierce spell from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who removed Phil Salt for a golden duck and followed up with the wickets of Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell. With England reeling at 35/3, Brook stepped up with a historic performance.

He smashed a breathtaking 100 off just 51 balls, featuring 10 fours and 4 sixes. In doing so, Brook became the first captain ever to score a century in T20 World Cup history. Despite a late-game wobble where Pakistan's bowlers, led by Shaheen (4/30) and Mohammad Nawaz, took quick wickets to bring the game to the final over, Jofra Archer hit the winning boundary with five balls to spare.

Pakistan’s Struggle for Momentum

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan chose to bat first but struggled to find a high gear. Sahibzada Farhan was the standout performer for the Green Shirts, anchoring the innings with a solid 63 off 45 deliveries. Contributions from Babar Azam (25) and Fakhar Zaman (25) helped stabilize the middle overs, but a late-innings collapse saw Pakistan slip from 122/3 to a finishing total of 164/9.

England’s Liam Dawson was clinical with the ball, finishing with figures of 3/24, while Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer picked up two wickets apiece to keep the pressure on.

The Road Ahead

With this win, England moves comfortably into the knockouts. For Pakistan, the path to the semifinals has become much more difficult; they now rely on other results in Group 2 to go their way and must win their final match against Sri Lanka on February 28 to stay in contention.

Match Summary:

·        Pakistan: 164/9 (20 overs) | Sahibzada Farhan 63, Liam Dawson 3/24

·        England: 166/8 (19.1 overs) | Harry Brook 100, Shaheen Afridi 4/30

·        Result: England won by 2 wickets.