Pallekele witnessed cricketing magic on February 24 as Shaheen Afridi delivered a dream start for Pakistan against England in the T20 World Cup 2026. The pace ace dismantled Phil Salt with the first ball of the innings, becoming Pakistan’s pioneer in this rare achievement during the tournament’s history.
This sensational dismissal elevated Afridi above Kagiso Rabada in the powerplay wicket charts, with his tally now at 18 dismissals—the highest ever in T20 World Cups. England’s camp was left reeling early, forcing them to regroup in the high-stakes clash.
Pakistan’s batting card told a story of resilience amid collapses. After Salman Agha’s decision to bat first following a toss win, the top order crumbled with Sam Ayub out for 7 and the skipper managing just 5. Babar Azam (25 off 24) provided some stability, but Sahibzada Farhan emerged as the hero, crafting a masterful 63* off 45 balls laced with seven boundaries and a brace of sixes.
Fakhar Zaman’s brisk 25 off 16 and Shadab Khan’s explosive 23 off 11 pushed the total to 164/9. England’s bowling attack, led by spinner Liam Dawson’s 3/24, proved formidable. Jofra Archer snared 2/32, and Jamie Overton claimed 2/26 in a tight spell. With Afridi replacing Faheem Ashraf in the XI, Pakistan’s strategic tweak paid immediate dividends, setting up an intriguing second innings.