Pallekele

A composed half-century from Sahibzada Farhan guided Pakistan to 164/9 in their allotted 20 overs against England in a crucial Super 8 encounter of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday.

After winning the toss, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha opted to bat first, but England’s disciplined bowling attack quickly put the decision under pressure.

Speedster Jofra Archer struck early, dismissing Saim Ayub for 7 in the third over. Soon after, left-arm spinner Liam Dawson removed skipper Salman Ali Agha for 5, leaving Pakistan struggling at 27/2 inside four overs.

Farhan then steadied the innings alongside Babar Azam, as the duo rebuilt cautiously during the Powerplay. Pakistan reached 46/2 after six overs, with Farhan anchoring the innings through calculated stroke play.

Farhan brought up his half-century in 37 deliveries and went on to score 63 off 45 balls. During his knock, he set a new benchmark for Pakistan by hitting his 13th six of the tournament — the most by a Pakistani batter in a single T20 World Cup edition. He also became only the second Pakistani to register three or more 50-plus scores in a single edition, after Babar Azam’s four in 2021.

The 46-run partnership between Farhan and Babar ended when Jamie Overton bowled Babar for 25. Overton later struck a crucial blow in the 16th over, trapping Farhan leg-before just as Pakistan looked set to accelerate.

From 122/3, Pakistan’s innings faltered. Fakhar Zaman added a brisk 25 before falling to Adil Rashid. Dawson then tilted the momentum decisively in England’s favour, dismissing Usman Khan and Mohammad Nawaz in consecutive deliveries in the 18th over. Archer returned to remove Shaheen Afridi cheaply.

A late cameo from Shadab Khan, who struck 23 off 11 balls with four boundaries, helped Pakistan post a competitive total of 164/9.

Dawson finished as England’s standout bowler with figures of 3/24 from his four overs, ensuring Pakistan were restricted despite Farhan’s impressive effort.

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England will now look to chase down the target in what remains a pivotal match in the Super 8 stage.