Harry Brook's First T20 Century Sends England to Semifinals

Sometimes all it takes is a coach's morning pep talk to change everything. England's Harry Brook walked onto the field in Pallekele struggling with form, but walked off with his first T20 century and a ticket to the World Cup semifinals.

Brook had managed just 102 runs across five games before Tuesday's must-win match against Pakistan. Coach Brendon McCullum pulled him aside that morning with a simple suggestion: move from the number five spot to number three in the batting order.

"Pakistan is your team," McCullum told him. Brook took that confidence and ran with it.

England's chase started rough. Star bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi knocked out three top batters during the powerplay, leaving England wobbling at 58-4. That's when Brook decided to take control.

He attacked from the start, refusing to let Pakistan's bowling pressure slow him down. With support from teammates Sam Curran and Will Jacks, Brook smashed his way to 50 runs off just 28 balls. He zoomed past his previous T20 best of 81 and reached his century milestone in just 50 balls.

"I was just happy to get the job done, to be honest," Brook said afterward. "We were in a tricky situation to start."

His innings included 10 boundaries and four sixes, each one bringing England closer to their target of 166. The crowd rose to their feet as Brook completed his century, knowing they were watching something special.

The next ball, he was out. A yorker from Afridi ended his magical knock at exactly 100 runs, but Brook had already done his job. England needed just 10 more runs to win.

Why This Inspires

Brook's performance shows the power of trust and timing. His coach believed in him when the numbers didn't, and Brook responded by delivering when his team needed him most. After struggling through five games, he could have played it safe, but instead he chose to attack.

This marks England's fifth straight World Cup semifinal appearance, an achievement no other team has matched. They've won all five games in Pallekele over the past three and a half weeks, building momentum at exactly the right time.

For Pakistan, opener Sahibzada Farhan's 63 runs kept them competitive, but it wasn't enough. Captain Salman Agha summed it up perfectly: "Whenever we play against England and lose, it's always him."

Brook now joins the elite club of players with centuries in all three cricket formats. Not bad for someone who was struggling to find form just 24 hours earlier.