ENG vs PAK T20 World Cup Highlights: Harry Brook single-handedly defeats Pakistan; England qualify for semi-finals

ENG vs PAK T20 World Cup Highlights: Harry Brook led the chase for England as they won the match by two wickets.

ENG vs PAK T20 World Cup Highlights: Pakistan batted first after winning the toss. However, the start was not great for them as Saim Ayub departed early off Jofra Archer's bowling. It was expected that Salman Ali Agha would provide stability to the progress alongside Farhan. However, the Pakistan captain also returned to the hut soon with the team under pressure in the powerplay. After the two wickets fell, the two most dependable batters in the line-up, Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan, stitched together a partnership.

Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan steadied Pakistan's progress after the fall of the first two wickets; however, their partnership failed to get going at the right time. The disciplined bowling from England bowlers meant that pressure mounted on the two batters. Babar Azam tried to take the initiative, attacking the bowlers, but departed without converting the start he got.

Farhan scored a brilliant half-century but was dismissed by Overton just when he was looking to shift gears. After this, the lower order of Pakistan tried to up the ante, but each time they got something going, England picked up a wicket, pulling them back. Ultimately, Pakistan finished on 164/9 after 20 overs.

Pakistan made a stunning start in the second innings as Shaheen Afridi picked up the wicket of Phil Salt on the first delivery. He followed it up with the wicket of Jos Buttler in his second over. Soon, Afridi picked up Bethell and put England under immense pressure. It was all on England captain, Harry Brook, to carry his team from there.

Harry Brook played the knock of a captain as he counterattacked and took the team towards the target. He showed great temperament, pacing the chase perfectly. He was dismissed in the 17th over after he had reached his century, and England were 10 runs away from winning the game. However, Pakistan made things interesting with some late wickets. But in the end, England held their nerves and went across the line with two wickets in hand and five balls remaining in the game. With that they become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.

England and Pakistan walk into tonight’s Super 8 clash with the margins already thin and the tournament finally feeling like a knockout in disguise. It is a Group 2 game at Pallekele in Kandy, and as part of the good news, the conditions are expected to stay largely clear.

England have built momentum through the first half of the competition and are now trying to turn that into something cleaner: a complete performance that doesn’t wobble when the grip in the ball increases and the pace disappears.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have leaned hard on spin as both a brake and a weapon, and this surface can reward that patience if they bat with discipline and defend with clarity.

The tactical headline is simple: England’s batting, especially through the middle, has looked most vulnerable when teams slow it down. Pakistan will try to drag them into that zone and keep them there. For Pakistan, the counter-pressure is upfront - they will need enough runs on the board, because England’s death overs and chasing instincts can turn tight games.

Playing XIs -

England Playing XI: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

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

Squads

England: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq