Pallekele, February 24, 2026 –England vs Pakistan T20 ICC World Cup: They call it “The Mother of All Battles” for a reason. In a game that swung like a pendulum, England survived a ferocious spell from Naseem Shah and Usman Tariq to chase down 165. The hero of the night was Liam Livingstone, whose calm 44 and a match-winning partnership with tail-ender Gus Atkinson ensured the defending champions kept their cool under extreme pressure.
England vs Pakistan T20 ICC World Cup Match Overview:
Pakistan, sent in to bat first, struggled against England’s disciplined pace attack. Babar Azam (38) and Mohammad Rizwan (31) provided a steady start, but the middle order failed to capitalize. England’s Adil Rashid was masterful, weaving a web around the Pakistani batters. A late surge from Iftikhar Ahmed (26) helped Pakistan reach a competitive 164/9.
England’s chase started with a bang as Phil Salt dispatched Shaheen Afridi for three boundaries in the first over. However, Pakistan’s spinners, led by the mystery of Usman Tariq, triggered a collapse that saw England slip from 80/2 to 115/6. Just as Pakistan looked set for a famous win, Livingstone’s raw power took over. Despite losing partners at the other end, England crossed the line in the final over, winning by 2 wickets.
Match Scorecard: Detailed Statistics
1st Innings: Pakistan Batting
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Mohammad Rizwan (wk) | c Brook b Rashid | 31 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 110.71 |
| Babar Azam (c) | c Salt b Archer | 38 | 32 | 4 | 1 | 118.75 |
| Fakhar Zaman | b Atkinson | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 120.00 |
| Usman Khan | c Livingstone b Rashid | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 116.66 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | c Jacks b Curran | 26 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 173.33 |
| Shadab Khan | c Jacks b Curran | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 122.22 |
| Shaheen Afridi | b Archer | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 128.57 |
| Naseem Shah | not out | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 200.00 |
| Haris Rauf | c Brook b Atkinson | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Usman Tariq | b Atkinson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | (w 8, lb 4) | 12 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (20 Overs) | 164/9 | RR: 8.20 |
England Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Gus Atkinson | 4.0 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 7.75 |
| Adil Rashid | 4.0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 6.00 |
| Jofra Archer | 4.0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Sam Curran | 4.0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 9.50 |
| Will Jacks | 2.0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 7.50 |
| Moeen Ali | 2.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 12.00 |
2nd Innings: England Batting (Target: 165)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Phil Salt | c Rizwan b Shaheen | 28 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 155.55 |
| Jos Buttler (c/wk) | c Babar b Naseem | 22 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 115.78 |
| Will Jacks | b Usman Tariq | 19 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 126.66 |
| Harry Brook | lbw b Usman Tariq | 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 107.14 |
| Liam Livingstone | not out | 44 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 157.14 |
| Moeen Ali | c Fakhar b Haris Rauf | 8 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 88.88 |
| Sam Curran | b Naseem Shah | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Adil Rashid | b Shaheen Afridi | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Jofra Archer | c Babar b Haris Rauf | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 166.66 |
| Gus Atkinson | not out | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 171.42 |
| Extras | (w 5) | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | (19.1 Overs) | 166/8 | RR: 8.66 |
Pakistan Bowling Performance
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Econ |
| Usman Tariq | 4.0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 5.50 |
| Naseem Shah | 4.0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 7.50 |
| Shaheen Afridi | 4.0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 8.50 |
| Haris Rauf | 3.1 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 12.94 |
| Shadab Khan | 4.0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 9.75 |
Post-Match Analysis: Key Takeaways
1. Usman Tariq: The Mystery Remains
Pakistan’s new find, Usman Tariq, once again proved why he is the most talked-about spinner in the 2026 World Cup. His spell of 2/22 in four overs squeezed the life out of England’s middle order. He dismissed Will Jacks and Harry Brook in consecutive overs, nearly snatching the win for Pakistan.
2. The Gus Atkinson Factor
While Livingstone will take the headlines, Gus Atkinson was the silent assassin. His three wickets in the first innings prevented Pakistan from reaching 180, and his unbeaten 12 (7)*, including a massive six in the 19th over, was the final nail in Pakistan’s coffin.
3. Pakistan’s Death Bowling Woes
Haris Rauf had a night to forget. While Shaheen and Naseem kept things tight, Rauf struggled with his lengths, conceding 41 runs in just 3.1 overs. His inability to defend 10 runs in the final stages allowed England to escape.
4. Qualification Scenario
England now has 4 points from 2 games and a massive NRR boost. They are virtually through to the Semi-Finals. Pakistan, however, sits with 1 point and must beat Sri Lanka by a huge margin and hope that New Zealand loses to England.
Player of the Match: Liam Livingstone
For his heroic unbeaten 44 (28)* and a crucial wicket with the ball earlier in the day.
Updated Super 8 – Group 1 and 2 points table
🏆 Super 8 – Group 1 Points Table
Standings after Match 44 (WI vs ZIM)
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Status |
| 1 | WI | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +5.350 | Leaders |
| 2 | RSA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | +3.800 | Strong Position |
| 3 | IND | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -3.800 | Must Win |
| 4 | ZIM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -5.350 | Critical |
🏆 Super 8 – Group 2 Points Table
Standings after Match 45 (ENG vs PAK)
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR | Status |
| 1 | ENG | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +2.310 | Qualified (Virtually) |
| 2 | PAK | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -0.210 | Struggling |
| 3 | NZ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 | Match in Hand |
| 4 | SL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -2.550 | Must Win |
Upcoming Key Fixtures
Feb 26: West Indies vs South Africa (Group 1 Decider)
Feb 26: India vs Zimbabwe (India’s Survival Match)
Feb 27: England vs New Zealand (Group 2 Final Seedings)