In a display of sheer batting dominance and tactical bravery, England captain Harry Brook in a showy display was named into the record books on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Brook's maiden T20I century saw England beat Pakistan with a two-wicket victory at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, officially making the Three Lions the first team in all time to qualify for T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals.
When England scored their fifth consecutive final-four appearance, the result left Pakistan’s tournament aspirations hung tight as they depend now on a tangled series of results to avoid elimination.
The “Baz” Masterplan: Brook at No. 3
And in a surprise tactical evolution orchestrated by head coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum, Brook made himself No. 3 in his international career. It turned out to be a stroke of genius.
England’s 165-chase began with a catastrophic early success, when Shaheen Shah Afridi discarded Phil Salt to catch a golden duck with the first ball of the innings. Afridi continued his rampage and removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell, leaving England hanging at 35/3 within the Powerplay.
But Brook refused to be intimidated. Using brutal power as combined with controlled rotation of strikes, he removed the game from Pakistan:
- Milestone: Brook became the first captain in the T20 World Cup past to accomplish a century.
- Lightning Pace: His hundred landed just 50 balls, using 10 boundaries and 4 towering sixes.
- Elite Company: That was a single ton, making him the only third Englishman (after Alex Hales and Jos Buttler) to land a T20 World Cup century.
The Fighting Total Falters of Pakistan
Pakistan had only managed a competitive 164/9 early in the day having made a first-flight decision to bat. Sahibzada Farhan was The men in green came to the rescue, and held a game-winning 63 off 45 balls to lead the innings. Despite the contributions of Babar Azam (25) and the recent arrival of Fakhar Zaman (25), a late-innings collapse from Liam Dawson (3/24) had held Pakistan back from a truly scary total.
Qualification Scenario: Pakistan in the Brink
With the win, England now scores 4 points in Group 2, ensuring that they will be allowed to finish Semmals no matter what they do in the final Super 8 of New Zealand. That’s the bleak path for Pakistan. Currently sitting on 1 point left (from a previous washout) at their best, their qualification depends on the :
- Sri Lanka in their closing match.
- New Zealand losing both of their last fixtures. Holding a better NRR than their competitors.
- If New Zealand wins any of its remaining competitors, the 2022 finalists will be summarily eliminated.
