Pakistan’s semi-final hopes suffered a major setback as England edged them out by two wickets in a nail-biting ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash in Pallekele on Monday night.
Batting first, Pakistan posted 164 for 9, a total that looked competitive but slightly below par on a surface offering grip for the spinners. Sahibzada Farhan anchored the innings with a fluent 63, showing composure against pace and spin alike. However, regular wickets in the middle overs prevented Pakistan from building sustained momentum. Liam Dawson’s 3 for 24 proved decisive in choking the scoring rate when acceleration was required.
Defending 165, Pakistan made a dream start as Shaheen Shah Afridi struck with the very first ball of England’s chase. Recalled to the side, Afridi delivered a fiery spell, finishing with outstanding figures of 4 for 30 and putting England under immense pressure in the Powerplay. Usman Tariq further tightened the grip with two crucial wickets, reducing England to 58 for 4 and later 103 for 5.
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But England captain Harry Brook turned the contest on its head with a breathtaking century. Promoting himself to No. 3, Brook counterattacked fearlessly, reaching his maiden T20I hundred off 50 balls. Although Afridi dismissed him with a pinpoint yorker late in the innings, the damage had been done.
Pakistan fought till the end, with Mohammad Nawaz picking up two late wickets to drag the match into the final over. However, Jofra Archer struck the winning boundary off Salman Mirza to seal England’s semi-final berth.
Pakistan must now beat Sri Lanka in their final group game and hope other results keep their campaign alive. The question still stands: For how long can it continue like this?
