Rawalpindi, Pakistan — February 25, 2026
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi conceded Tuesday that his team’s chances of reaching the T20 World Cup semi-finals are now largely out of their hands following a narrow two-wicket defeat to England in the Super Eight stage.
With just one point from two matches, Pakistan must defeat Sri Lanka in their final group game on Saturday and simultaneously rely on favorable results elsewhere to stay in contention.
“We know our fate is not in our hands,” Afridi said at a post-match press conference. “But we need to beat Sri Lanka and hope other results go our way. It’s not ideal, but that’s how it is.”
Harry Brook’s Masterclass Denies Pakistan
The match was defined by England captain Harry Brook’s commanding century, his first in T20 Internationals, scored off just 50 balls. Brook’s innings included four sixes and 10 fours, guiding England past Pakistan’s 165-run target with five balls to spare.
Afridi produced an early burst, taking three wickets in the power play to leave England struggling at 35-3. He dismissed Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell, briefly putting Pakistan in control of the match.
But Brook steadied the innings, forging partnerships of 45 with Sam Curran and 52 with Will Jacks for the fifth and sixth wickets, respectively. His 100 was the second-fastest century in T20 World Cup history and the first ever by a captain in the tournament. Only West Indies great Chris Gayle, who reached three figures in 47 balls against England in 2016, was quicker.
“In my opinion, this will be the best innings of his life,” Afridi said. “It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on, but he took the game away from us.”
Afridi’s final delivery dismissed Brook with a yorker, yet he immediately went to congratulate the England captain, exemplifying sportsmanship.
“Brook played proper cricketing shots and he deserved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation,” Afridi said.
Pakistan now faces a must-win scenario against Sri Lanka, with their semi-final hopes depending not only on their own performance but also on how other Super Eight matches unfold.
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