Pakistan slumped to a loss against England in their second T20 World Cup Super 8 match in Pallekele on Tuesday. Harry Brook‘s classy 51-ball 100 ensured that England chased down a 165-run target against Pakistan in 19.1 overs. With the win, England moved to four points from two matches in T20 World Cup Super 8 Group 2 and are through to the semi-finals. Pakistan remained on one point from two games. The defeat has severely dented Pakistan’s T20 World Cup semi-final chances.
Currently this is how the points table stands: 1. England (4 points, 2 matches, NRR +1.491), 2. New Zealand (1 point, 1 match, NRR 0), 3, Pakistan (1 point, 2 matches, NRR -0.461), 4. Sri Lanka (-2.550)
Pakistan have only one game left in the Super 8 – against Sri Lanka on February 28 – while England will face New Zealand on February 27. For Pakistan to qualify, they must win their final match against Sri Lanka. A win will take them to three points, but even that may not be enough.
Remaining Fixture in T20 World Cup Super 8 Group 2
February 25: New Zealand vs Sri lanka
February 27: New Zealand vs England
February 28: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Scenario 1
If Pakistan beat Sri Lanka, it will also hope England to beat New Zealand, and Sri Lanka to defeat New Zealand as well. In that case, the points table will read: Pakistan (3), Sri Lanka (2), New Zealand (1). Pakistan will then qualify for the semi-finals as the seond-best team from Group 2.
Scenario 2
If New Zealand win one of their remaining matches and lose the other, both Pakistan and New Zealand will finish on three points (provided Pakistan beat Sri Lanka). In that situation, the team with the better Net Run Rate (NRR) will advance.
Scenario 3
If Pakistan lose to Sri Lanka, they will be eliminated.
Skipper Harry Brook played the most defining innings of his T20 career, smashing a 51-ball 100 to propel England into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a narrow two-wicket victory over Pakistan.
Chasing a target of 165 on a slightly difficult surface, England were 35 for 3 and then 58 for 4 before Brook almost singlehandedly carried them through with the two-time champions winning it with five balls to spare. Brook’s innings was not only his best individual score in T20Is but also the highest by an England skipper in the history of the T20 World Cups.
England have now reached their fifth straight T20 World Cup semi-final and first to qualify in the current edition. Brook, batting at No. 3 for the first time, showed admirable cricketing smarts during an innings that had 10 fours and four sixes as he picked his battles with precision. He did not take any undue risks against Usman Tariq (2/31 in 4 overs) and stood tall even as Shaheen Shah Afridi (4/30) wreaked havoc in his opening spell, during which he claimed three wickets.