In a Group 2 Super 8 game in Pallekele, Pakistan needed someone to stand up while defending a below par 164 runs on the board. Enter the comeback man Shaheen Afridi as he ran through the English top order to leave the match tantalisingly poised at this stage. England captain Harry Brook batting at 3 is counter attacking for the English team.
Shaheen Afridi’s triple strike rattles England in the powerplay.Â
Chasing 165 for the win, Philip Salt and Jos Buttler came out to open for England while Shaheen Afridi was back and bowling with the new ball for Pakistan. Afridi struck straightaway as Salt fell for a golden duck. Shaheen from over the wicket bowled a length ball pitching on the middle stump line angling across the right-hander to finish outside the off-stump. Salt was expecting an inswinger and his front foot did not go anywhere near the pitch of the ball and he played the expensive drive away from the body and got the outside edge to the keeper Usman Khan.
Captain Harry Brook came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Buttler was beaten all ends up. Salman Mirza opened things up from the other end as Brook helped it on its way with a flick through vacant long leg for a boundary. Brook took on Mirza as the short ball sat up for the batter and pulled it over square leg for the maximum. Afridi continued and he got rid of Buttler for 2 off 3 balls.
Afridi bowled a good length outside the off-stump delivery. Buttler didn’t move his feet and went slashing at it and got an under edge that carried low to the keeper as Usman Khan crouches and takes the catch easily. Jacob Bethell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Saim Ayub came into the attack next as Bethell rocked back and made good use of the crease and then pulled it through midwicket for a boundary. Bethell got a lifeline as Usman Tariq dropped the catch at short fine leg. Brook added salt to the wounds by stepping down the track and drilled it between the non-striker and mid-on for a boundary.
Afridi continued as Brook made room and punched it hard through extra cover and mid-off for a boundary. Afridi got another as he dismissed Bethell for 8 off 10 balls with one boundary to his name. Afridi bowled a back of a length angling into the batter from outside the off-stump. The southpaw went for a pick up shot and whipped it across the line and failed to get it off the middle of the bat and dragged it to the inside half of the bat as the ball went to deep backward square leg. Farhan took a good catch.
Tom Banton came out to bat next. Mohammad Nawaz came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. Brook took him on by sitting down on one knee and swept over backward square leg for a boundary. Brook then went inside out over covers for a boundary. Brook then took on Nawaz and lofted it hard straight down the ground over the umpire’s head for the maximum. England brought up their 50 in 6 overs. England were 53/3 in 6 overs of powerplay with Brook unbeaten on 41 off 20 balls and Banton unbeaten on 1 off 2 balls. Drinks was taken on the fielding as well.
Tom Banton falls but Harry Brook’s half-century keeps England in the contest.Â
Shadab Khan came into the attack post the powerplay. He bowled a decent first over after the break. Usman Tariq came into the attack next and struck for Pakistan straightaway removing Banton for 2 off 6 balls. Tariq from over the wicket bowled on a length outside the off-stump and was a googly from Tariq. Banton rocked back and looked to cut and played against the spin and paid the price and got an outside edge through to the keeper. Usman Khan took a sharp catch behind the stumps.
Sam Curran came out to bat next and hot off the mark straightaway. Shadab continued as Curran mistimed a pull to long-on where Afridi made a meal of it as the ball went away to the fence. Saim Ayub returned to bowl the 10th over as Brook got to his 7th T20I fifty and 3rd in T20 World Cups to short fine leg. He got there in 28 balls. Brook rocked back and swivelled it away by pulling it to deep backward square leg for a boundary.
At the completion of 10 overs, England at the halfway stage of the game were 82/4 in 10 overs with Brook unbeaten on 57 off 31 balls and Curran unbeaten on 11 off 9 balls.
What Lies Ahead.Â
So, England have lost a few wickets but have gone to 82 runs in 10 overs but have lost 4 wickets. England if they can hold their cool and keep wickets in hand can still win this and Brook will be the key to the chase. But Pakistan are still in it and if they take wickets then they will be back in the game. Let’s see how the rest of the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read: ICC T20 WC 2026: Sahibzada Farhan’s Solid Half-Century Guides Pakistan To 164/9.