Watch: Harry Brook totally surprised after learning Pakistan star Arafat Minhas’ age

Watch: Harry Brook totally surprised after learning Pakistan star Arafat Minhas’ age

Arafat Minhas Stuns England as Pakistan Claim Commanding ODI Win

Pakistan’s young all-rounder Arafat Minhas delivered a breakthrough performance in the second match of the Tri-Nation ODI series, helping his side defeat England by 87 runs in Rawalpindi on October 20. The 21-year-old made a crucial contribution with the bat before producing a career-best spell with the ball, leaving England captain Harry Brook impressed by both his skill and composure.

Minhas scored 59 from 58 deliveries to lift Pakistan to a competitive total of 302 for nine. He then took six wickets for 40 runs as England were dismissed for 215. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award and gave Pakistan a significant boost in the tournament.

Minhas turns a difficult position into a strong Pakistan total

Pakistan had work to do when Minhas arrived at the crease. The hosts were 133 for five, having lost several wickets before establishing a commanding platform. Rather than simply trying to survive, the left-handed batter helped rebuild the innings, finding boundaries and rotating the strike to keep the scoring moving.

His 59-run knock was particularly valuable because it came under pressure and helped Pakistan reach 302 for nine. The total gave the bowlers a substantial target to defend, although England’s opening partnership initially suggested the chase could become competitive.

Tom Banton and Ben Duckett put on 91 runs for the first wicket, giving England a confident start. Banton made 57, and the visitors appeared well placed to challenge Pakistan’s total. But once the opening stand was broken, the innings lost momentum. Pakistan’s bowlers tightened their lines, while the fielders backed them with sharp work in the field.

Six wickets and a decisive dismissal of Harry Brook

Minhas became the central figure in England’s collapse. His left-arm spin disrupted the visitors’ middle order, and one of his most important breakthroughs came when he dismissed Brook with a delivery that turned past the England captain’s bat and hit the stumps.

That wicket helped shift the match firmly in Pakistan’s favour. Minhas continued to take wickets as England struggled to build partnerships, claiming five more dismissals to finish with figures of six for 40. He also completed the match with a direct-hit run-out, rounding off an unusually complete all-round contribution.

England were bowled out for 215, falling 87 runs short. The result reflected more than a single spell of spin: Pakistan combined a competitive batting total, disciplined bowling and energetic fielding to take control after England’s promising start.

Harry Brook praises the young Pakistan all-rounder

Brook acknowledged Minhas’s impact after the match, describing him as a quality bowler and the standout performer of the contest. The England captain also praised Pakistan’s fielding, which helped maintain pressure as England began losing wickets.

“He’s a nice bowler; he bowled very well. I thought they fielded exceptionally well,” Brook said at the post-match presentation. He added that England had seen footage of Minhas but had not played against him often, making the young all-rounder’s performance especially striking.

Brook was also reportedly surprised to learn Minhas’s age. At 21, the Pakistan player has already shown an ability to influence a major international match in both innings—a quality that could make him an important figure in Pakistan’s ODI plans.

A rare all-round milestone for Pakistan

Minhas’s performance placed him in a select group of Pakistan players. He became only the third Pakistani all-rounder, after Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi, to score an ODI half-century and take at least five wickets in the same match. The achievement underlines the scale of his contribution and gives the result added significance beyond the series points.

For Pakistan, the display also offers an encouraging prediction for the team’s depth: emerging players can provide balance rather than being limited to one specialist role. A lower-order batter who can add meaningful runs and a spinner capable of taking wickets gives the side more options when conditions favour turn or when the top order falters.

Brook identifies England’s batting problem

Brook said England were reasonably satisfied with Pakistan’s total at the halfway stage and felt their bowlers had executed their plans well. The key failure, he explained, was the batting response after the strong opening partnership. England could not sustain the pressure or build the partnerships needed to keep the chase on course.

He pointed to wickets falling in clusters and a lack of meaningful stands as the main reasons the innings unravelled. England, he said, did not put Pakistan’s bowlers under enough pressure to force mistakes. That assessment highlights a familiar challenge in ODI chases: a good start can quickly lose value if the middle order cannot rebuild after a breakthrough.

England had also received guidance on playing spin from former batter Kevin Pietersen, who recently took on a specialist mentoring role. However, the visitors were unable to turn that preparation into a successful response against Minhas and Pakistan’s attack. The defeat is likely to prompt further discussion about England’s approach against spin, particularly when a chase requires patience as well as scoring intent.

What Minhas’s performance could mean for Pakistan

One match does not settle a player’s long-term place in an international side, but Minhas has made a compelling case for continued opportunities. His batting showed he can contribute under pressure, while his bowling demonstrated control, variation and the confidence to attack established opponents. His direct-hit run-out added another reminder of the value of his all-round skill set.

For England, the match offers a clear lesson: an early partnership is only a foundation, not a guarantee. For Pakistan, it was a statement win shaped by a young player who rose to the occasion. If Minhas can build on this performance, he may become an increasingly important option in the team’s ODI combination—and a name opponents will be watching closely in the remainder of the Tri-Nation series.

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