Harry Brook's explosive century propelled England into the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finals following a nail-biting two-wicket triumph over Pakistan. Brook's unbeaten 100, achieved in just 50 balls, anchored England's chase after a devastating bowling spell from Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi had reduced them to 35-3.
The decision to promote Brook to number three was a tactical masterstroke by coach Brendon McCullum. "We've spoken about adapting and changing all sorts throughout this competition," Brook stated, highlighting the team's bravery in the crucial match. Despite losing partners, Brook remained resolute as England navigated a challenging chase. Afridi's late wickets and two quick dismissals in the penultimate over by Mohammad Nawaz set up a tense finish, but Jofra Archer hit the winning boundary with five balls remaining.
Pakistan, batting first after winning the toss, posted a total of 164, with Sahibzada Farhan top-scoring with 63. Sharp fielding and effective bowling from England's Archer and Liam Dawson stifled Pakistan's progress early on. Babar Azam contributed 25, but the middle order struggled before Farhan's half-century provided some stability.