Shaheen Afridi blames lack of 'partnerships' for defeat against England

KANDY: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi admitted that his side’s failure to stitch together a meaningful partnership cost them dearly in their two-wicket defeat to England in the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.

In a high-intensity contest at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pakistan posted 164-9 after being put in to bat.

England, however, chased down the target in the final over despite losing eight wickets, riding on a superb century from skipper Harry Brook.

Afridi, who produced a fiery spell of 4-30 and removed the well-set Brook, was left to ponder what might have been.

The left-arm pacer believed Pakistan fell short primarily due to their inability to build momentum through the middle overs.

“I feel on a wicket like this you need a partnership and a set batter who can bat through the middle overs,” Afridi said after the match.

“But unfortunately, we lost wickets back to back, which is why we did not reach that 180-190 score.”

Pakistan’s innings never quite found stability. Several batters got starts, but none were able to convert them into a commanding stand.

The middle order, in particular, struggled to rotate strike regularly against a disciplined England attack.

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Shaheen Afridi pointed to the importance of maintaining a steady flow of singles and twos, a factor he felt England executed far better.

“If you see, when England batted, Harry Brook stayed at the crease. He was rotating the strike and building partnerships. I think we missed that opportunity,” he said.

“A partnership means you need someone at the crease who can take singles and twos. In a T20 innings, you need eight or nine runs an over consistently if you want to build partnerships.”

The surface at Pallekele was noticeably fresher compared to the one used in England’s previous outing against Sri Lanka, offering better conditions for stroke play. In hindsight, Pakistan’s total of 164 appeared slightly under par.

Shaheen Afridi also credited England leg-spinner Adil Rashid for tightening the screws during the middle phase.

“I think that middle phase, Adil Rashid bowled really well, so credit goes to him as well,” he added.

Despite Afridi’s impressive four-wicket haul, Pakistan were left to rue a missed opportunity as England sealed qualification to the semi-finals.

For Pakistan, the defeat has left their campaign hanging by a thread, with little room for further error in the tournament.

READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Pakistan’s semi-final qualification scenario explained