Harry Brook’s captain’s century fires England into World Cup 2026 semi-finals

Why this matters now: England’s relocation to the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals changes the immediate landscape of the Super 8s stage — it removes a top contender from Pakistan’s path and hands England momentum built around one towering performance. World Cup 2026 now carries both a leadership milestone and tactical questions about England’s fragile top order after a nervy, last-over finish.

Impact on teams and tournament flow in World Cup 2026

Harry Brook’s century reshaped who looks favored in the knockouts and who must rethink selection and form. England are the first team through to the semi-finals in the Super 8s, and that guaranteed spot relieves immediate pressure on their campaign despite recurring top-order failures. Pakistan, meanwhile, leave the match with a praise-worthy bowling performance but now face the consequence of having allowed a single innings to rearrange semifinal permutations.

Key match details and sequence (embedded)

Super 8s clash: England 166 for 8 beat Pakistan 164 for 9 by 2 wickets. Pakistan batted first after winning the toss; Sahibzada Farhan added a 63-run innings in 45 balls (seven fours, two sixes), with supporting knocks from Babar and Fakhar Zaman (25 in 16 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Shadab Khan (listed as 23 in 11 balls with four boundaries in one account, and described as a rapid 19 in another). Pakistan finished 164/9.

England’s chase was rocked early: Phil Salt and Jos Buttler combined for three runs, with Salt gone first ball and Buttler dismissed in the third over; Buttler’s tournament average was listed as 10. 33 from six innings. Shaheen Shah Afridi tore through England’s top order in the powerplay and returned figures of 4/30 in one account, ending Brook’s innings with the final ball of the 17th over — Brook had completed his hundred on the previous ball, but whether that century came off his 50th delivery or in 51 balls is unclear in the provided context.

Brook had been promoted to No 3 and walked in one ball into the innings. He produced a commanding knock featuring 14 boundaries (recorded as 10 fours and four sixes in another account), including a back-foot straight six off Mohammad Nawaz. Will Jacks (28 in 23 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Sam Curran (16 in 15 balls) supplied crucial support; Will Jacks and Jamie Overton both fell in the penultimate over, leaving England needing a tense finish before securing victory with five balls to spare and by two wickets.

Records, milestones and contested details

Two noteworthy milestones emerged: Brook is stated as the first captain ever to score a century in the T20 World Cup, and his innings was described as joint-second-fastest in tournament history in one account — placed alongside Chris Gayle’s 50-ball effort — while Gayle’s 47-ball century in 2016 remains noted as the fastest. Brook was also listed as joining Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan as English batters who have centuries across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

Additional historical context included that this marks England’s fifth successive semi-final qualification in the T20 World Cup since 2016, with a 2022 title mentioned as part of that run. Brook’s century was counted as the fourth century made in successful T20 World Cup run-chases, alongside Alex Hales’ 116* in 2014, Gayle’s chase hundred in 2016, and Pathum Nissanka’s century against Australia in this year’s tournament.

• England’s bowling contributions listed: Liam Dawson 3/24, Jofra Archer 2/32, Jamie Overton 2/26; Archer set the tone with an early wicket in one description.
• Shaheen’s situation is highlighted: described as 25 years old, previously dropped after conceding 31 in two overs against India, and reclaimed a place only because Faheem Ashraf was not fit enough to keep his own spot.
• Match location and timing detail appears as Pallekele on February 24, 2026 in one account.

Here’s the part that matters: England’s path to the semis now depends less on steady top-order contributions and more on match-defining individual performances. The real question now is whether Brook’s knock signals a turning point in leadership-by-example or remains a singular escape act in a tournament of inconsistency.

What’s easy to miss is that several small contradictions in the record — the precise ball count for the century, Shadab Khan’s individual score, and slight phrasing differences about remaining wickets — mean some specifics remain unclear in the provided context rather than settled fact.

Key takeaways:

• England beat Pakistan by 2 wickets (166-8 v 164-9) and secured a semi-final berth in the Super 8s.
• Harry Brook hit a century after being promoted to No 3; accounts list the hundred as either off the 50th delivery or in 51 balls and as including 14 boundaries (10 fours, 4 sixes).
• Shaheen Shah Afridi finished with a four-wicket return in one report and dismissed Brook with the final ball of the 17th over; his recent selection was linked to Faheem Ashraf’s fitness.
• England’s qualification continues a string of deep runs (five successive semis since 2016), while Pakistan’s attack produced strong lines but conceded a match-defining knock.

Micro timeline: February 24, 2026 — Super Eight match in Pallekele; Brook’s century; England 166-8 over Pakistan 164-9; England into semis. Follow-up confirmations and statistical reconciliations may appear as official scorecards are finalized.