PAK vs ENG LIVE: Brook’s century powers England into ICC T20 World Cup semi-final

ISLAMABAD: England booked their place in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-final after defeating Pakistan in a crucial clash, powered by skipper Harry Brook’s massive century.

Brook smashed a match-winning 100 off 51 balls, leading England to successfully chase down the 165-run target and seal qualification.

Pakistan, defending 165, showed promise with the ball. Shaheen Shah Afridi led the attack brilliantly with four wickets, while Usman Tariq and Mohammad Nawaz picked up two each. Despite the strong bowling effort, Pakistan’s earlier batting struggles and costly fielding lapses ultimately proved decisive.

England’s chase was anchored by Brook, who found solid support from Will Jacks (28 off 23) and Sam Curran (16 off 15). The trio steadied the innings and guided England comfortably toward victory.

At one stage, England appeared under pressure after losing key wickets early. Shaheen removed Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell, raising Pakistan’s hopes. Usman Tariq further tightened the game by dismissing Tom Banton and Sam Curran in the middle overs.

However, Brook’s dominance turned the match around. His aggressive knock brought England within touching distance of victory, which the lower order completed with ease.

Notably, match projections after the first innings had heavily favoured England, with a 98 per cent chance of winning, given the modest target.

Pakistan innings recap

Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan scored a fighting 63 off 45 balls, including seven fours and two sixes, helping Pakistan post 165 in their 20 overs.

Despite Farhan’s effort, Pakistan struggled to build momentum. Saim Ayub (7) and skipper Salman Agha (5) fell early, putting the team under pressure against England’s disciplined bowling attack led by Jofra Archer and Liam Dawson.

Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman attempted to stabilise the innings but managed only 25 runs each. Mohammad Nawaz was dismissed for a duck, while Usman Khan and Shaheen Afridi added just eight and two runs respectively.

Pakistan’s total, though competitive, fell short of their initial expectations after opting to bat first.

Match overview

Experts believed Pakistan’s decision to bat first could work in their favour, but inconsistent batting and missed chances in the field allowed England to capitalise and secure a convincing win.

Pakistan made two changes to their lineup, bringing in Fakhar Zaman and Shaheen Shah Afridi, while England retained their unchanged XI.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha (capt), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Usman Tariq

England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid