KEY POINTS
- Shaheen took four wickets, including the early dismissal of Phil Salt, and had England reeling at 35-3 during the powerplay.
- Harry Brook’s unbeaten century, the second fastest in T20 World Cup history, guided England to a nervy two-wicket victory.
KANDY, Sri Lanka: Former England cricketer and renowned commentator Michael Atherton has heaped praise on Pakistani pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, calling him a ‘very dangerous opponent’ for any team, even in the face of a defeat.
Despite England overcoming Pakistan by two wickets in the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, Atherton highlighted Shaheen’s return to form as a significant positive for the Green Shirts.
The left-arm pacer finished with impressive figures of 4 wickets, providing Pakistan with crucial breakthroughs.
“Wickets up top is what he’s all about,” Atherton said when asked about the fast bowler. “His combination of obviously decent pace, and if he can get that ball swinging, he remains a very dangerous opponent.”
England successfully chased down a target of 165 with five balls to spare, courtesy of a historic century from captain Harry Brook.
It was Brook’s first T20 international hundred, which guided his team into the semi-finals after a nervy finish.
Harry Brook scripts history in T20 World Cup!#ENGvsPAK #T20WorldCup https://t.co/YnhOmacOmn
— CrickIt (@CrickitbyHT) February 24, 2026
Atherton noted that Shaheen, who has faced challenges with form and fitness in the recent past, is regaining his lethal touch.
“And, you know, he’s one of the kind of iconic figures of Pakistan cricket. So it’s good to see him back, taking wickets at the top of the order.”
The former England opener analyzed how Shaheen turned the tide momentarily.
“He got Pakistan right back in the game. They only needed to get Harry Brook out and that was probably Pakistan’s game. But Brook was just too good for them tonight.”
Brook heroics overshadow Shaheen’s fightback
England’s innings got off to a nightmare start when Phil Salt was caught behind off Shaheen for a golden duck on just the second ball.
The pacer struck again during the powerplay as wickets continued to tumble at the other end, leaving England reeling at 35 for 3.
However, Harry Brook stood firm amidst the chaos. The England captain lifted his side from a precarious position, constructing the innings meticulously before accelerating.
He eventually lifted his team to 155 for 6 before being dismissed by Shaheen for a brilliant century.
Brook’s knock is now the second fastest century in T20 World Cup history and the first by a men’s team captain in the tournament.
Shaheen’s graceful tribute to Brook
In a moment of high-class sportsmanship, Shaheen Shah Afridi was seen shaking hands with Brook after dismissing him, acknowledging the magnitude of the innings.
Speaking after the match, Shaheen hailed Brook’s century as a ‘world-class knock’ and predicted it would be remembered as the best innings of his life.
“Brook played proper cricketing shots, and he deserved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation,” the pacer said.
