Colombo: England captain Harry Brook said his side arrived with a clear mission and executed it to perfection after becoming the first team to reach the semifinals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, edging Pakistan by two wickets in a thriller at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
“We've come here to do that job, and we got it done,” Brook said after the Super 8 stage match.
Brook led from the front with a historic 100 off 51 balls, smashing 10 fours and four sixes in a commanding knock that anchored England’s chase of 165.
In doing so, he became the first captain to score a century in a men’s T20 World Cup and only the third England batter to register a hundred in the tournament after Alex Hales and Jos Buttler. His ton also marked the first century by an England captain in men’s T20Is.
Explaining his promotion to No. 3, Brook credited head coach Brendon McCullum. “Baz, the mastermind behind it. He came up in the morning and spoke with me. We wanted to try and maximise the Power-play a little more. They know I like to take the game on. Thankfully, it came off, and we got a decent start.”
Brook admitted the idea had been on his mind. "I'd been thinking about it for a while.”
He also revealed a light-hearted exchange with McCullum before the game: “Baz said that this morning - ‘what do you think about No. 3? Pakistan is your team'.”
