England secured a place in the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup after defeating Pakistan by 2 wickets in a crucial Super 8 encounter, powered by a magnificent century from captain Harry Brook. England completed the chase in the final over to confirm their qualification for the next stage.
In the match played at Pallekele, Pakistan captain Salman Agha won the toss and opted to bat first in an effort to post a competitive total. Pakistan managed 164 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs, setting England a target of 165 runs.
In response, England displayed composed batting and reached the target in the final over with 8 wickets down. With this victory, England advanced to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup and strengthened their standing in the Super 8 stage.
Pakistan made one change to their playing eleven for the match against England, bringing in Shaheen Afridi in place of Faheem Ashraf. The Pakistan lineup included captain Salman Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shadab Khan. England, on the other hand, retained the same combination without any changes.
Pakistan Innings
Pakistan’s innings began cautiously, but the side failed to build sustained partnerships and finished on 164 for 9 in 20 overs.
Saim Ayub scored 7 and Salman Ali Agha 5, while Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman contributed 25 runs each. Usman Khan added 8, and Shadab Khan scored 23 before being dismissed.
Sahibzada Farhan once again delivered a responsible performance, scoring a valuable half-century. He made 63 runs off 45 balls and played a key role in guiding the team to a competitive total. Mohammad Nawaz was dismissed without scoring, while Shaheen Afridi made 2 runs.
For England, Liam Dawson claimed three wickets, while Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer took two wickets each.
England’s Innings
Chasing 165, England also faced early setbacks. Phil Salt was dismissed on the first ball by Shaheen Afridi, while Jos Buttler managed 2 runs before falling to the same bowler. Jacob Bethell scored 8 before returning to the pavilion.
Tom Banton was dismissed for 2 runs by Usman Tariq. At a critical stage, captain Harry Brook steadied the innings and produced a brilliant century, scoring 100 runs off 51 balls to guide his side to victory. Will Jacks contributed an important 28 runs to support the chase.
Shaheen Afridi led Pakistan’s bowling effort with four wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq claimed two wickets each.
Following this result, England became the first team to qualify for the semi-final from the Super 8 stage.
It is worth noting that Pakistan’s opening Super 8 match against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain, with both teams awarded one point each.
Pakistan will play its final match against Sri Lanka on February 28.
