Arafat Minhas Stars With Bat and Ball as Pakistan Defeat England by 87 Runs
Pakistan began their tri-series campaign in Rawalpindi with a commanding 87-run victory over England, thanks to an exceptional all-round performance from Arafat Minhas. The young left-hander helped rescue Pakistan’s innings with a composed half-century, then returned to dismantle England’s chase with a career-best six-wicket haul.
After losing five wickets for 133, Pakistan looked in danger of posting a modest total. Instead, contributions from Hasan Nawaz, Minhas and Faheem Ashraf lifted the hosts to 302 for nine in 50 overs. England made an aggressive start in reply but were bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs, with Minhas finishing on six for 40.
The result gives Pakistan an emphatic opening win and offers plenty for fans to consider when making a cricket prediction for the rest of the tri-series. The match also highlighted how quickly a one-day international can turn: England were in control during Pakistan’s middle-order wobble and again during their own bright opening stand, but Minhas changed the course of the contest in both innings.
Pakistan Rebuild After Early Wickets
Pakistan’s innings began badly when Fakhar Zaman was dismissed from the first ball, flicking the delivery straight to short midwicket. Babar Azam briefly steadied the hosts, finding the boundary regularly, but Saim Ayub fell for eight after top-edging a short delivery from Sonny Baker.
Babar’s fluent start gave way to a more cautious approach, and Will Jacks eventually bowled him to leave Pakistan under pressure. England tightened their grip when Salman Agha, fresh from scoring a century in the previous match, top-edged an attempted slog sweep. At 81 for four, Pakistan needed a substantial partnership to avoid being restricted to a below-par total.
Hasan Nawaz supplied the first spark. He struck his first ball for six, signalling that Pakistan would not settle for simply surviving. Nawaz and Saad Baig then worked to rebuild the innings, mixing sensible rotation of the strike with timely attacking shots. Baig’s dismissal to Gus Atkinson interrupted their progress, but Pakistan’s response was to keep attacking.
Nawaz and Minhas added 78 runs at a crucial stage, transforming the innings from a recovery effort into a genuine scoring surge. Nawaz cleared the ropes twice in quick succession and went on to reach a valuable half-century. Minhas also found his range, taking three boundaries from an over bowled by Sam Curran as Pakistan began to build momentum for the final overs.
Minhas and Ashraf Lift Pakistan Beyond 300
Jamie Overton ended Nawaz’s innings with an excellent yorker, leaving Pakistan in need of another productive stand. Minhas found one in Faheem Ashraf. The pair attacked the closing overs with confidence, putting pressure on England’s bowlers and ensuring the hosts had a strong finish despite the loss of wickets.
Minhas brought up his maiden ODI fifty with three consecutive boundaries before departing. Ashraf was also dismissed with two overs remaining, but Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf added enough late runs to push Pakistan past the 300 mark. Their final total of 302 for nine was a significant achievement after the early collapse.
Nawaz top-scored with 79, while Minhas contributed 59 and Ashraf’s late support helped complete the recovery. Baker was England’s most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 65 runs, but Pakistan’s lower-middle order ensured his early breakthroughs did not decide the match.
England Start Fast but Minhas Turns the Game
England’s chase began quietly, with only nine runs coming from the first three overs. The visitors soon shifted gears. Tom Banton attacked Naseem Shah, striking two sixes and a four in the same over, and joined Ben Duckett in taking England to a brisk opening partnership. Even after the Powerplay, the pair continued to score freely, carrying the total to 80 without loss after 12 overs.
Pakistan needed a breakthrough to interrupt England’s rhythm, and Haris Rauf provided it by dismissing Duckett for 45. Minhas then removed the dangerous Banton, who had scored 57, to give the hosts another opening. His dismissal proved especially important: England had looked capable of chasing down 303, but the loss of their set opener began to expose the middle order.
Minhas followed up by bowling Harry Brook with a sharply delivered ball, putting England firmly on the back foot. Joe Root and Curran briefly restored some order, building a partnership that offered the visitors a chance to recover. Pakistan, however, kept searching for wickets rather than allowing the pair to settle.
Six-Wicket Haul Seals a Comprehensive Win
Naseem returned to break the partnership by bowling Root. Curran then miscued a pull shot and departed at a crucial moment, leaving England’s lower order to face mounting pressure. Unlike Pakistan, whose lower-middle order had rescued the innings, England could not find a comparable response.
The final five English wickets added only 38 runs. Minhas continued to strike, finishing with six for 40 and completing a remarkable all-round display. England were eventually dismissed for 215 in 38.4 overs, 87 runs short of the target.
For Pakistan, the victory was built on resilience as much as individual brilliance. Their top order struggled, but Nawaz, Minhas and Ashraf turned a precarious position into a competitive total. The bowlers then made the most of that score, with Minhas’s breakthroughs arriving just as England threatened to take control.
What the Result Means for the Tri-Series
Pakistan’s opening performance offers encouraging signs ahead of the matches to come. The team demonstrated depth in the batting order and showed that its bowlers could respond under pressure, even after England’s openers made an aggressive start. Minhas, in particular, emerged as a player to watch: his innings provided composure and acceleration, while his spell showed control, variation and a knack for taking wickets at pivotal moments.
England will need to assess how their middle and lower order can handle pressure when an early platform is lost. Their fast start made the chase look achievable, but the collapse that followed underlined the importance of partnerships and careful decision-making in the middle overs.
For supporters following the series, this result adds an intriguing dimension to any cricket prediction. Pakistan have shown they can recover from trouble and turn a match through disciplined bowling, while England’s opening aggression remains a threat. The clearest takeaway from Rawalpindi, however, is that Minhas has the ability to influence a game in every phase—and his performance has given Pakistan an ideal start.
Match summary: Pakistan 302/9 in 50 overs (Hasan Nawaz 79, Arafat Minhas 59; Sonny Baker 3/65) defeated England 215 in 38.4 overs (Tom Banton 57, Ben Duckett 45; Arafat Minhas 6/40) by 87 runs.
