England edged past Pakistan by 2 wickets in the 5th match of the Super Eight round in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy.
Brook Promotes Himself and Delivers
“If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.” Harry Brook followed that approach on Tuesday night. The England skipper moved himself up to No. 3 and smashed his first T20 international hundred. His brilliant knock carried England past Pakistan and into the semi-finals with one match still left in the group stage.
Brook began this tournament, his first as captain, with 53 against Nepal. However, spin troubled him in the next four innings, where he failed to cross 20 each time. He responded boldly. He shifted up from No. 5 to bat in the powerplay.
His move brought immediate pressure. Shaheen Shah Afridi, recalled by Pakistan, struck with the very first ball of England’s chase. Brook walked in to face the second delivery.
Farhan Carries Pakistan
Pakistan’s total of 164 never looked enough. Much of it depended on Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 63. He remains the only Pakistan batter to score a half-century in this tournament. He now leads the run charts with 283 runs in five innings. Shadab Khan is the next highest scorer for Pakistan with just 111.
Pakistan lost early wickets after choosing to bat first. Saim Ayub miscued a pull off Archer. Salman Agha fell in the deep off Liam Dawson, who bowled in the powerplay for only the second time this tournament.
Farhan and Babar Azam added 46 runs in 44 balls for the third wicket, but the scoring rate slowed badly during the middle overs.
After Babar fell to Jamie Overton’s cross-seamer, Farhan tried to lift the tempo. He hit Will Jacks for a 100-metre six. He reached his fifty in 37 balls and attacked Overton again. However, a surprise yorker trapped him on the boot and halted Pakistan’s momentum.
Fakhar Zaman, recalled for the Super Eight stage, struck two sixes but fell to Adil Rashid. Dawson controlled the death overs brilliantly. He took two wickets in two balls in the 18th over and finished with 3 for 24, the standout bowling performance for England.
Afridi Strikes, Brook Counters
Afridi took three wickets in the powerplay to slow England. Later, Usman Tariq removed two more batters in the middle overs. England slipped to 58 for 4 and then 103 for 5.
Still, Brook attacked relentlessly. He reached his century in just 50 balls. He hit Afridi for six over cover and then drove him for four over mid-off to complete the milestone.
Afridi dismissed him the very next ball with a perfect yorker. Brook left the field to a standing ovation. England needed only 10 runs at that point.
They made the finish harder than expected. Mohammad Nawaz took two quick wickets and pushed the game into the final over. Finally, Jofra Archer smashed Salman Mirza through midwicket to seal the win. England’s dugout showed visible relief.
Semi-Final Spot Secured
This victory confirmed England’s place in the semi-finals with a game in hand. They will top the group if they beat New Zealand in Colombo on Friday. Despite not producing a complete performance yet and struggling in the field against Pakistan, England have now reached the semi-finals in five consecutive men’s T20 World Cups.
Pakistan’s path is tougher. They must beat Sri Lanka and hope other results favour them.
Brook’s Form Returns at the Right Time
Brook has endured a long and demanding winter tour schedule. Yet he has shown flashes of brilliance. He scored 135 in New Zealand, played a key hand at the MCG during the Ashes, and struck 136 not out in Sri Lanka to win an ODI series.
At this World Cup, he had struggled against spin. In Pallekele, however, he looked in complete control. He became the first England batter to score a men’s T20I hundred as captain. He also completed centuries across all formats. No other England batter crossed 30 in this match.
Phil Salt fell early while playing for swing that never came. Jos Buttler continued his poor form and scored just 2. In contrast, Brook dominated. He smashed Mirza for six and took 17 runs from Nawaz’s final powerplay over.
He attacked spin smartly. He stepped out to hit Shadab Khan for six and punished him again through the leg side. He managed Tariq carefully. He completed his hundred with another six and four off Afridi. After Afridi bowled him with a yorker, the fast bowler even shook his hand.
Brook later revealed that England coach Brendon McCullum suggested the promotion. “That was all Baz,” he said. “He came to me this morning and said, 'Look, we might change it up and put you up at No. 3 today.'”
It remains to be seen whether this batting position becomes permanent.
Brief Scorecard
