Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has hailed England captain Harry Brooke for playing the “best innings of his life” after the captain’s sensational century took England to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup with a thrilling two-wicket victory on Tuesday (February 24).
ENG vs PAK T20 WORLD CUP 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
Brook smashed a 51-ball 100 to guide England to a successful chase of 165 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. The innings marked England’s fifth consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final and eliminated Pakistan’s direct route to the last four.
Shaheen, who took four for 30 in four overs, went over to shake Brook’s hand during the match in a rare show of appreciation for the opposition. The gesture came moments after the left-arm paceman bowled Brook for a yorker, one ball after the England skipper completed his maiden T20I century.
“YOU DESERVED IT”
“I think it will be the best innings of his life. He should be credited for playing a proper cricketing stroke. It was not an easy wicket,” Shaheen said at the post-match press conference.
“If you look at his batsmen, they all struggled. But if you look at his knocks, he should be appreciated,” added the pacer, recalling Brook’s masterclass that came as England slumped to 58 for four in the chase.
Shaheen explained his decision to acknowledge Brook’s brilliance midway through the match. “He deserved it; it was a world-class innings. Harry and I had a very good friendship when we played together in the PSL. He played with us for Lahore Qalandars,” he said.
Brook’s 100, which included 10 fours and four sixes, is the highest individual score by an England captain in T20 World Cup history. Batting first at number three, he single-handedly anchored the chase before falling in the 18th over, England needing just 10 runs.
PAKISTAN’S FAST HOPE
Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-finals now hang in the balance. England have already qualified from Group 2, with New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka fighting for second place.
To advance, Pakistan need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight match and hope New Zealand lose the remaining match. The equation is out of Pakistan’s control.
“These things happen in cricket. But we are still in the tournament; anything can happen. We think we will get this one opportunity – firstly we should win this match (against Sri Lanka),” Shaheen said.
“Hopefully New Zealand will lose their match. Yes, you said I was out, but my focus is to work on my bowling, how to come back, how to work on my bowling and maintain my normal stuff so that I can perform well in the match.”
SHAHEEN’S RETURN
Tuesday’s match marked Shaheen’s comeback after being dropped from Pakistan’s previous two matches. Despite his four-wicket haul, which included three wickets in his opening spell, Pakistan could not defend 164.
Sahibzada Farhan top-scored for Pakistan with 63 off 45 balls, but England spinner Liam Dawson’s 3 for 24 limited the total. Brook then took control and found an able ally in Will Jacks (28 off 23 balls) as they added 52 runs for the sixth wicket to seal England’s passage.
England won with five balls to spare, confirming their status as two-time champions and still looking for a third title.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 25, 2026
