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England Reaches T20 World Cup Semi-finals with Brook’s Century
England cruises into the ICC T20 World Cup semi-finals, defeating Pakistan by 8 wickets with Harry Brook’s scintillating century. Shaheen Afridi’s 4 wickets weren’t enough for Pakistan.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-24
England Reaches T20 World Cup Semi-finals with Brook’s Century

England secured their place in the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup with a commanding 8-wicket win over Pakistan, thanks to a spectacular century from Harry Brook. The match, held in Palikale, saw England easily chase down Pakistan's target of 164 runs with just one wicket remaining in the final over.

Pakistan’s Struggles with the Bat
After winning the toss, Pakistan’s captain Salman Agha opted to bat first, but their innings was hampered by regular wickets and solid bowling from England. Pakistan finished with 164 runs for 9 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

Key contributions came from Sahibzada Farhan, who top-scored with 63 runs off 45 balls, and Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, who each contributed 25 runs. The rest of the batting lineup struggled, with Saim Ayub (7), Salman Ali Agha (5), Usman Khan (8), Shadab Khan (23), Muhammad Nawaz (0), and Shaheen Afridi (2) all falling cheaply.

England's Bowling Success
England’s bowlers were clinical, with Liam Dawson taking 3 wickets, while Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer claimed 2 wickets each. Despite the decent contributions from Farhan, Pakistan could not capitalize on their early partnerships and found themselves short of a challenging total.

England’s Response: Brook’s Masterclass
Chasing a modest target of 165, England’s chase got off to a rocky start with Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi making early breakthroughs. Phil Salt was dismissed for a duck off the first ball, and Jos Buttler followed shortly after, scoring just 2 runs. England’s middle order continued to falter, with Jacob Bethell falling for just 8 and Tom Bunton for 2 runs.

However, the day belonged to Harry Brook, who played a brilliant innings to single-handedly propel England towards victory. Brook’s century came off just 51 balls, and his 100-run knock was a masterclass in T20 batting. He was well-supported by Will Jacks, who contributed 28 runs, ensuring England reached their target in the final over.

Pakistan’s Bowling Efforts
Shaheen Afridi was Pakistan’s standout bowler, taking 4 wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq each grabbed 2 wickets. Despite their efforts, England’s chase was largely under control due to Brook’s dominance at the crease.

England’s Path to Semi-finals
With this win, England became the first team to secure a spot in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. Their path was further solidified by a rain-impacted draw in their opening Super 8 match against New Zealand, where both teams earned a point. England will now look ahead to their next match as they prepare for the semi-finals.

Pakistan’s Remaining Hopes
For Pakistan, the loss puts them in a difficult position, but they still have a chance to make it to the semi-finals if they can defeat Sri Lanka in their final Super 8 match on February 28.
Tagged:

PakistanCricket

T20WorldCup

HarryBrook

EnglandVsPakistan
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