"In my opinion, this will be the best innings of his life."
Pakistan now faces a very difficult path to the T20 semi-finals after the defeat against the England cricket team.
Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi admitted that the national side no longer controls its own destiny in this global tournament.
The green shirts suffered a narrow two-wicket loss, which leaves them with just one point so far.
This result means the team must defeat Sri Lanka on February 28, 2026, while praying for other match results to help.
Shaheen admitted: “We know our fate is not in our hands. But we need to beat Sri Lanka in our last match on Saturday and then hope other results go our way.”
During a press conference, the left-arm fast bowler expressed that the current situation is certainly not ideal.
The game was defined by a magnificent century from Harry Brook, who led England to a very thrilling victory.
Brook reached his historic hundred in only 50 balls while smashing 10 boundaries and 4 massive sixes during play.
England successfully chased down a target of 165 runs with only 5 balls remaining in play.
Shaheen Afridi had earlier put England under immense pressure by taking three quick wickets during the early power play overs.
He dismissed Phil Salt with the very first delivery of the innings to give Pakistan a dream start.
The fast bowler then removed Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell to leave the English side struggling at 35 runs.
Despite the early wickets, Harry Brook remained incredibly calm and played what Afridi called a truly world-class knock.
“In my opinion, this will be the best innings of his life.
“It wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on but he took the game away from us.”
Brook had been promoted to the number three position following a tactical discussion with head coach Brendon McCullum earlier.
He formed crucial partnerships of 45 with Sam Curran and 52 with the middle-order batter Will Jacks.
His incredible century marked the first time a captain has ever scored a hundred in T20 World Cup history.
It was also the second fastest hundred in the history of the tournament, trailing only the great Chris Gayle.
Brook showed no signs of nerves as he moved from 90 to 100 by hitting Afridi for boundaries.
The Pakistani pacer eventually bowled him out with a perfect yorker.
Instead of a wild celebration, Shaheen walked over to congratulate the England captain for his spectacular and brave performance.
“Brook played proper cricketing shots and he deserved a handshake, so I went to him and shook his hand in appreciation.”
This display of sportsmanship earned praise from fans.
Pakistan now prepares for their final group match against Sri Lanka, which has become a must-win encounter now.
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