RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: England captain Harry Brook was left surprised by Arafat Minhas’ age after the young Pakistan all-rounder produced a match-winning performance with bat and ball to secure an emphatic 87-run victory in the ODI tri-series on Tuesday.
Minhas emerged as the standout performer at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, scoring a valuable 59 before dismantling England’s batting line-up with career-best figures of 6-40.
However, it was Brook’s reaction to discovering the all-rounder’s age that provided an intriguing moment during the post-match press conference.
“Is he under 21? I didn’t know that. He’s a nice bowler and bowled very well,” Brook said.
The England captain admitted that his side had watched footage of Minhas but had limited experience facing him in international cricket.
“He was a standout performer by a mile. We’ve all seen videos of him, but we haven’t played against him much. I thought they fielded exceptionally well, too,” he added.
Minhas Turns the Match in Pakistan’s Favour
Pakistan had earlier recovered from a difficult position of 81-4 to post 302-9 after England elected to bowl first.
Hasan Nawaz led the recovery with 79 off 74 deliveries, while Minhas contributed 59 from 58 balls.
Faheem Ashraf added a brisk 39 off 26 deliveries, and Saad Baig scored 35 to help Pakistan establish a challenging target.
England began their chase knowing that dew could make batting conditions easier under the lights.
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Brook acknowledged that his team had been satisfied with restricting Pakistan to just over 300.
“We were pretty happy with restricting them to 300. We knew dew was going to play a factor, and it did,” he explained.
But Minhas ensured that England could not take full advantage of those conditions.
The young spinner claimed six wickets, including the dismissals of Will Jacks and Adil Rashid in successive deliveries, as England were bowled out for 215.
Tom Banton scored 57 and Ben Duckett contributed 45, but neither could prevent Pakistan from recording their second consecutive tournament victory.
Minhas also ran out Gus Atkinson to complete an exceptional all-round display.
Brook Identifies England’s Mistake
Despite praising Minhas, Brook acknowledged that England could have approached the spinner differently.
“We were slightly careful against him, but we could look to put him under a little more pressure next time we play against him,” he said.
The admission offered an insight into how Minhas had influenced England’s batting strategy.
His combination of disciplined bowling and wicket-taking ability forced the visitors onto the defensive during a demanding chase.
For Pakistan, the performance provided another encouraging sign of emerging talent capable of influencing international matches in multiple roles.
The victory strengthened Pakistan’s position in the tri-series after their opening 37-run win over Sri Lanka.
England, meanwhile, will seek to recover when they face Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Thursday, October 22.
With Pakistan and England scheduled to meet again in Lahore on October 25, Brook and his teammates may soon have another opportunity to test themselves against the young all-rounder who made such a powerful first impression.
