Arafat Minhas Announces Arrival on the International Stage as Pakistan Destroy England in Tri-Nation Series

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, October 20, 2026: Arafat Minhas walked into a Pakistan innings that was falling apart and finished the evening as the man England could neither contain nor survive. The 21-year-old all-rounder scored 59 from 58 balls, demolished England’s chase with six wickets for 40 runs and completed an extraordinary personal performance with a direct-hit run-out as Pakistan won the second match of the ODI Tri-Series by 87 runs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Pakistan had stumbled to 81/4 and appeared unlikely to reach 300 before Hasan Nawaz’s 79, Minhas’ resourceful half-century and Faheem Ashraf’s explosive 39 lifted the hosts to 302/9. England then raced to 91 without loss, seemingly in control of the chase, before Minhas’ left-arm spin turned the afternoon’s batting recovery into an evening of English frustration. England collapsed to 215 all out in 38.4 overs, surrendering their last seven wickets for 50 runs as Pakistan claimed a second successive tri-series victory.

Pakistan vs England: ODI Tri-Series 2026 Match Summary

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s official match scorecard provides the innings figures, bowling statistics and wicket-by-wicket details.

Why Arafat Minhas’ Performance Was So Extraordinary

Minhas effectively played three different roles in the same international match. First, he helped Pakistan rebuild an innings that had lost its leading batters. Then he became the principal attacker with the ball, breaking England’s partnerships and dismantling their middle and lower order. Finally, with one wicket remaining, he personally ended the chase through a direct hit.

TSE VISUAL BRIEFING

Story at a glance

01

Pakistan vs England: ODI Tri-Series 2026 Match Summary

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s official match scorecard provides the innings figures, bowling statistics and wicket-by-wicket details.

02

Why Arafat Minhas’ Performance Was So Extraordinary

Minhas effectively played three different roles in the same international match. First, he helped Pakistan rebuild an innings that had lost its leading batters. Then he became the principal attacker with the ball, breaking England’s partnerships and dismantling their middle and lower order. Finally, with one wicket remaining, he personally ended the chase through a direct hit.

03

Pakistan Fall to 81/4 Before Hasan Nawaz Starts the Rescue

England captain Harry Brook chose to bowl first and initially had every reason to feel satisfied.

04

Hasan Nawaz’s 79 Gives Pakistan a Platform for 300

Hasan Nawaz was the first Pakistan batter to seize control of the scoring rate.

05

How Minhas and Faheem Ashraf Turned 211/6 Into 302/9

Minhas had spent much of his innings rebuilding. Once Hasan departed, the responsibility shifted again.

His figures tell the story: 59 runs from 58 deliveries, nine boundaries, six wickets from 8.4 overs and only 40 runs conceded. England scored at 5.56 runs per over across their innings, but managed just 4.62 against Minhas.

He accounted for six of England’s nine batting dismissals credited to bowlers. Including the final run-out, he was directly involved in seven of England’s ten dismissals.

In the postmatch presentation, Minhas explained that the slower surface had helped his bowling and emphasized the variations he has been developing.

“I have kept my plans simple. There was not much help for the spinners in the first match. The pitch was on the slower side today, which helped me.”

His assessment offers an important tactical clue. England’s early scoring suggested a manageable surface, but the pitch demanded more care once Pakistan’s spinners began working through their overs. Minhas found a method that England repeatedly failed to counter.

Pakistan Fall to 81/4 Before Hasan Nawaz Starts the Rescue

England captain Harry Brook chose to bowl first and initially had every reason to feel satisfied.

Fakhar Zaman departed for a first-ball duck, caught by Joe Root off Gus Atkinson. Saim Ayub followed for eight, leaving Pakistan at 31/2.

Babar Azam made 34 from 52 deliveries but was bowled by Will Jacks. When Salman Ali Agha fell for 16 to Adil Rashid, Pakistan were 81/4 after 18.4 overs.

The problems were familiar. Pakistan’s top order had consumed valuable deliveries without establishing the substantial partnerships required for a commanding ODI total.

There was a telling contrast with Pakistan’s 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the tri-series opener. In that game, Agha’s century anchored Pakistan’s recovery. Against England, Agha could not repeat the performance, forcing the responsibility onto another section of the batting order.

Saad Baig contributed 35 from 54 balls, sharing a 52-run fifth-wicket partnership with Hasan Nawaz before Atkinson removed him at 133/5 in the 28th over.

At that stage, reaching 250 would have represented a respectable recovery. Pakistan instead found the acceleration that transformed the match.

Hasan Nawaz’s 79 Gives Pakistan a Platform for 300

Hasan Nawaz was the first Pakistan batter to seize control of the scoring rate.

He struck 79 from 74 deliveries, including five fours and four sixes, at a strike rate of 106.75. His half-century came from 46 balls, providing the innings with the urgency that Pakistan’s earlier batters had struggled to sustain.

Once Minhas joined him, the pair added 78 runs for the sixth wicket. It was a crucial partnership because Pakistan needed consolidation and acceleration simultaneously.

Hasan supplied the attacking momentum while Minhas gradually settled into his innings. Together they carried Pakistan from 133/5 to 211/6.

Jamie Overton eventually bowled Hasan in the 40th over, but by then the innings had acquired a different shape. Pakistan entered the final ten overs with enough batting resources to attack.

Hasan’s contribution also strengthened the case for Pakistan’s emerging white-ball players as the national setup continues its preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Those selection decisions sit within the broader changes examined in our analysis of Pakistan’s recent white-ball leadership and squad reset.

How Minhas and Faheem Ashraf Turned 211/6 Into 302/9

Minhas had spent much of his innings rebuilding. Once Hasan departed, the responsibility shifted again.

Faheem Ashraf joined him with Pakistan on 211/6 after 39.5 overs. The pair added 72 runs for the seventh wicket, taking the total to 283 before Minhas was dismissed on the final ball of the 48th over.

Faheem provided immediate acceleration with 39 from 26 balls, striking five fours and a six at a strike rate of 150. Minhas continued to rotate the strike and punish loose deliveries.

Pakistan accumulated 91 runs in the final ten overs, an impressive return given that six wickets had already fallen before the death overs began.

Minhas reached his first ODI half-century from 54 balls. He eventually fell for 59, caught by Brook off Sonny Baker, but the innings had already moved beyond England’s initial expectations.

Shaheen Shah Afridi struck two fours in an unbeaten 10 from five deliveries, and Haris Rauf finished on four not out as Pakistan completed their 50 overs at 302/9.

The bigger lesson was the distribution of responsibility. Pakistan’s first five batters contributed 93 runs between them. Hasan, Minhas and Faheem combined for 177.

That remarkable difference explained the recovery and exposed the issue Pakistan still need to resolve: the lower middle order should provide strength, but repeatedly asking it to rescue top-order collapses is not a sustainable long-term plan.

England’s Bowlers Start Well but Lose Control at the Death

Sonny Baker finished as England’s leading wicket-taker with 3/65 from nine overs. Gus Atkinson took 2/35 from seven, while Will Jacks and Jamie Overton returned economical figures of 1/45 and 1/38 respectively from their ten-over allocations.

Overton’s economy rate of 3.80 was particularly impressive in a match where Pakistan eventually crossed 300.

However, the final phase damaged England’s early work. Pakistan scored 91 runs in the last ten overs and moved the target beyond 300.

At the presentation, Brook acknowledged that England had been satisfied with the apparent progress of their bowling effort before the chase went wrong.

“We were quite happy by limiting them under 300. Banton and Ducky set the tone beautifully, but we lost the wickets in clumps and could not put on a partnership and ended up on the wrong side.”

Brook’s opening assessment was slightly at odds with the eventual score: Pakistan finished on 302. More importantly, the innings illustrated how quickly England’s advantage disappeared once the hosts found dependable partnerships.

England Race to 91/0 Before Pakistan Turn the Chase Upside Down

England’s pursuit of 303 began with conviction.

Tom Banton and Ben Duckett added 91 for the opening wicket in 14.3 overs. England reached 65 without loss after ten overs and appeared to have established the platform for a serious chase.

Duckett struck eight fours in his 45 from 46 deliveries. Banton was more aggressive, scoring 57 from 53 balls with five fours and two sixes.

England reached 100 in the 16th over, and with nine wickets remaining after Duckett’s dismissal, the chase was still firmly alive.

Haris Rauf made the first breakthrough when Duckett was caught by Fakhar Zaman for 45.

Minhas then removed Banton for 57, caught by Shaheen, with the score at 120/2 in the 19th over.

That was the dismissal that changed the nature of England’s chase. Pakistan had finally removed both set openers, and a new batter would have to learn the conditions against a spinner who had begun finding his rhythm.

Harry Brook lasted only seven deliveries before Minhas bowled him for five. England had slipped to 128/3, losing three wickets for 37 runs after their promising opening stand.

Six Wickets for 40: How Minhas Destroyed England’s Middle Order

Joe Root and Sam Curran attempted to stabilize the chase, but England could not reproduce the fluency of their opening partnership.

Root made 33 from 35 balls before Naseem Shah bowled him, leaving England at 165/4 in the 29th over.

Curran contributed 27 from 39 deliveries before Rauf removed him, with substitute fielder Ghazi Ghori completing the catch.

By the time England reached 177/5 in the 32nd over, they required another 126 runs with five wickets remaining.

Minhas then dismantled their remaining batting resources.

Jordan Cox: The Review That Could Not Save England

Jordan Cox made 18 from 16 balls before Minhas trapped him lbw in the 35th over. England reviewed the decision, but the original verdict stood.

The dismissal reduced England to 197/6 and removed one of the few batters still capable of accelerating the scoring rate.

Jamie Overton Falls as England Lose Their Seventh Wicket

Overton managed only one run before Hasan Nawaz caught him off Minhas.

England were now 205/7, and their chase had entered its final phase.

Will Jacks and Adil Rashid Fall Two Balls Apart

Minhas returned to remove Will Jacks for 19, caught by Shaheen at 214/8.

On the following delivery, Adil Rashid was trapped lbw for a first-ball duck. England reviewed that decision too, but the appeal was unsuccessful.

Minhas had claimed six wickets, and England were 214/9 after 38.2 overs.

The last seven wickets had fallen for just 49 runs at that stage. England’s attempt to chase 303 had become a struggle simply to complete their innings.

The Perfect Finish: Minhas Seals Victory With a Direct-Hit Run-Out

There was one final contribution left in an already exceptional evening.

On the fourth ball of the 39th over, Sonny Baker worked Minhas toward midwicket. A mix-up between Baker and Gus Atkinson left both batters at the non-striker’s end.

Minhas initially fumbled the return throw, recovered quickly and struck the stumps at the striker’s end to run out Atkinson for seven.

England were all out for 215.

Minhas had supplied the innings-saving runs, taken the decisive wickets and completed the last dismissal himself.

The final margin was 87 runs, with 68 deliveries of England’s innings unused.

His run-out was a fitting conclusion to a match in which almost every significant phase of Pakistan’s recovery passed through his hands.

Pakistan vs England: Complete ODI Scorecard

Pakistan Batting: 302/9 in 50 Overs

Fall of wickets: 0/1 (Fakhar, 0.1), 31/2 (Saim, 5.5), 59/3 (Babar, 14.2), 81/4 (Agha, 18.4), 133/5 (Saad, 27.3), 211/6 (Hasan, 39.5), 283/7 (Minhas, 47.6), 285/8 (Faheem, 48.3), 296/9 (Naseem, 49.3).

England Bowling Figures

England Batting: 215 All Out in 38.4 Overs

Fall of wickets: 91/1 (Duckett, 14.3), 120/2 (Banton, 18.3), 128/3 (Brook, 20.2), 165/4 (Root, 28.5), 177/5 (Curran, 31.3), 197/6 (Cox, 34.5), 205/7 (Overton, 36.4), 214/8 (Jacks, 38.1), 214/9 (Rashid, 38.2), 215/10 (Atkinson, 38.4).

Pakistan Bowling Figures

Where Pakistan Won the Match: The Numbers Behind Both Recoveries

Pakistan’s victory becomes more revealing when the two innings are broken into their decisive phases.

The clearest contrast concerns how each team responded when wickets fell.

Pakistan had enough batting depth to build two important partnerships after losing five wickets. England, despite beginning with a 91-run opening stand, could not construct a similarly decisive recovery once their established batters departed.

This pattern has particular significance in the ODI format, where rebuilding after wickets can matter as much as scoring quickly in the powerplay.

The match also supplies fresh context for the historical batting and all-round performances documented in The Sports Encounter’s A Celebration of 5000 ODIs series, which examines how decisive individual contributions have shaped one-day cricket.

What Shaheen Afridi and Harry Brook Said After the Match

Shaheen Praises Minhas but Demands More From Pakistan’s Top Order

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi praised Hasan, Minhas and Faheem while acknowledging the team’s unresolved batting problems.

“It was really good how Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, and Faheem Ashraf batted, but we also need our top-order to fire.”

Shaheen also described Minhas as a proper all-rounder and an important talent for Pakistan’s long-term plans.

Those comments reflect a familiar challenge for Pakistan. The team has assembled match-winning bowling options, but establishing consistent batting partnerships remains essential if it is to compete reliably against leading ODI opposition.

Pakistan’s recent encounters with England have provided several difficult reminders of the need for stronger batting foundations, including the Lord’s defeat that prompted a major Test-team overhaul and the Edgbaston collapse to 133. Those were Test matches rather than ODIs, but the broader problem of losing wickets in clusters remains relevant across formats.

Brook Questions England’s Approach Against Spin

Brook focused on England’s failure to maintain partnerships and the team’s cautious batting against Pakistan’s slow bowlers.

“We were a bit too much circumspect against the spinners. We could have put them under pressure, I feel.”

England’s innings supports that concern. Banton and Duckett had provided an aggressive platform, but subsequent batters struggled to combine scoring with wicket preservation.

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England have previously shown how destructive their batting can be, including the dominant ODI series-decider against Sri Lanka in September. Their problem in Rawalpindi was converting that potential into sustained control against changing conditions and an effective spin attack.

What Does This Result Mean for the ODI Tri-Series Final?

Pakistan now have four points from two matches after victories over Sri Lanka and England. They have taken an important step toward reaching the October 31 final in Lahore, although qualification is not yet mathematically guaranteed.

The competition consists of a double round-robin phase followed by a final between the leading two teams. Its broader purpose includes preparation for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, as explained in the ICC’s official squad and schedule announcement.

Pakistan have won two different kinds of matches. Against Sri Lanka, Agha’s century and the fast bowlers delivered the result. Against England, Hasan’s half-century and Minhas’ exceptional all-round display carried the team through difficulties at both ends of the game.

For England, Thursday’s meeting with Sri Lanka has become especially important. Brook’s team must address the partnership failures exposed by Minhas and avoid falling further behind in the three-team competition.

Pakistan will meet England again in Lahore on October 25, giving both teams an early opportunity to measure their progress.

Another important development in Pakistan’s series preparation is the planned breast cancer awareness initiative for the Lahore match, covered in The Sports Encounter’s report on Pakistan’s pink-jersey campaign.

Remaining ODI Tri-Series Schedule

The England and Wales Cricket Board’s official fixtures page provides the upcoming England schedule.

What Arafat Minhas’ Performance Means for Pakistan’s World Cup Plans

The most encouraging aspect of Minhas’ performance was his ability to contribute under very different kinds of pressure.

Pakistan needed batting stability when he arrived at the crease. Later, England needed partnerships when he began taking wickets. He responded to both situations with methods appropriate to the conditions.

The ICC’s player profile identifies Minhas as a left-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, a combination that gives Pakistan another potential option for balancing its ODI lineup.

He will still need to establish consistency over a larger sample of international matches. One outstanding performance does not settle the question of whether he can become a dependable long-term all-rounder.

But the Rawalpindi evidence is unusually persuasive. Minhas handled a difficult batting situation, adjusted his bowling to a slower surface and stayed alert enough in the field to complete the victory.

For a Pakistan side that has repeatedly revisited questions about balance, experience and the direction of its national teams, such versatility deserves serious attention.

That broader rebuilding process has been a recurring theme in Pakistan cricket, from Razaullah’s counterattacking Test innings at Edgbaston to the selection decisions that have reshaped the country’s white-ball options.

Pakistan vs England ODI 2026: Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Pakistan vs England ODI on October 20, 2026?

Pakistan defeated England by 87 runs in the second match of the ODI Tri-Series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan scored 302/9 before dismissing England for 215.

Who was Player of the Match?

Arafat Minhas won the award after scoring 59 runs from 58 balls, taking six wickets for 40 runs and completing the final run-out.

How many wickets did Arafat Minhas take against England?

Minhas took six wickets for 40 runs from 8.4 overs, dismissing Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Jamie Overton, Will Jacks and Adil Rashid.

How many runs did Arafat Minhas score?

He scored 59 from 58 deliveries with nine fours at a strike rate of 101.72.

Who scored the most runs for Pakistan?

Hasan Nawaz top-scored with 79 from 74 balls, including five fours and four sixes.

Why did England lose after a strong opening partnership?

England reached 91 without loss but struggled to build further partnerships after losing their openers. Minhas’ six wickets and the supporting dismissals from Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah left England all out for 215.

How many points does Pakistan have in the tri-series?

Pakistan have four points after winning their opening two matches against Sri Lanka and England.

When is England’s next ODI match?

England face Sri Lanka on October 22, 2026, in Rawalpindi.

When will Pakistan play England again?

Pakistan and England meet again on October 25, 2026, at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The Defining Lesson From Rawalpindi

Pakistan’s second tri-series victory has brought them closer to the final and strengthened the case for a new all-round talent. It has also left Shaheen with a problem he cannot ignore.

His middle order has rescued Pakistan twice in two matches. The bowling has supplied the finishing power. The top order has yet to produce the commanding start that would make those resources even more dangerous.

For England, the defeat was a reminder that an excellent opening partnership is only the beginning of a successful ODI chase. The side that reached 91 without loss had enough time and wickets to win. The side that faced Minhas thereafter had neither the partnerships nor the answers.

Pakistan found an all-rounder who could rescue an innings, destroy a chase and finish the job himself. Now the challenge is to build a team that does not require such extraordinary individual heroics every time it encounters trouble.