KANDY: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha praised England skipper Harry Brook for his superb century that steered the two-time champions to a tense two-wicket win and secured their place in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.
After electing to bat in the crucial Super Eights encounter at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan posted 164/9 in their allotted 20 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan leading the scoring.
The right-handed opener struck a fluent 63 from 45 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes. He was supported by Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, who scored 25 apiece, while Shadab Khan added a useful 23.
Chasing 165, England reached the target with eight wickets down and five deliveries remaining, largely thanks to a match-winning knock from Brook.
The England captain produced a scintillating 100 off 51 balls, striking 10 fours and four sixes on a sluggish pitch, while the rest of the batting line-up managed a combined 62 runs from 62 deliveries against Pakistan’s spin-heavy attack.
Commanding performance
Brook’s commanding performance drew admiration from Agha, who acknowledged that Pakistan’s total fell short despite a promising start and credited the England captain for seizing control of the contest.
“Started well with the bat but couldn’t finish the way we wanted to. But some days you have to give credit to other batters. I think Harry batted brilliantly. Our score was a bit short. And then Brook took the game away from us. We threw everything at him,” said Agha at the post-match presentation.
Despite the setback, Agha identified positives in Farhan’s consistent form and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s four-wicket haul, commending both players for their contributions.
“I think [Farhan has] batted very well throughout the World Cup. Other batters haven’t played the way we wanted to, but it can happen like that in World Cups,” Agha continued.
“He [Shaheen] bowled really well today. He’s famous for early wickets, and he did that today,” he added.
Brook’s dominance
Reflecting further on Brook’s dominance against Pakistan, Agha pointed to the batter’s ability to score freely across the ground as a significant challenge for his bowlers.
“Whenever we play against England and lose, it’s always him. Have to say hats off to him and the way he batted today. Very challenging, the way he batted. He can play all around the ground, so it can get challenging,” Agha stated.
The Pakistan captain also observed England’s disciplined approach against mystery spinner Usman Tariq, who returned figures of 2/31 in four overs. He admitted that Mohammad Nawaz’s two wickets in the 19th over briefly revived hopes of a dramatic turnaround.
“They batted really well against Tariq. They didn’t go hard against him. Still, he got two wickets. The way Nawaz bowled the 19th over, I thought maybe, you never know. Even if there’s a one per cent chance, my team will go for it.”
