In a dominant performance at Rawalpindi on Tuesday, Pakistan defeated England by 87 runs in the tri-series match, powered by an all-round display from Arafat Minhas. The 20-year-old left-arm spinner scored his maiden ODI half-century and took a career-best six wickets to seal a comprehensive victory.

Batting first, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 302 for 9. Minhas contributed 59 runs off 58 balls, while Hasan Nawaz provided substantial support with a patient 79 from 74 deliveries. Their partnership was crucial in recovering from a precarious 133 for 5, during which Nawaz hit four sixes and five fours. The pair added 78 runs for the sixth wicket, helping Pakistan gain momentum despite England dropping three catches in the process. Minhas later put on another valuable 72-run stand for the seventh wicket with Faheem Ashraf, who scored a lively 39 that included a six and five boundaries.

England’s bowlers, led by Sonny Baker’s 3 for 65 and Gus Atkinson’s 2 for 35, managed early breakthroughs, including the dismissal of Fakhar Zaman on the first ball. Babar Azam (34) and Saad Baig (35) then tried to stabilize the innings, but the lower-order partnerships propelled Pakistan to a challenging total.

In response, England started strongly with openers Tom Banton and Ben Duckett putting on 120 runs for the first wicket. Banton scored 57 off 53 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes, while Duckett added 45. However, Minhas’ bowling sparked a dramatic collapse, as England lost their last nine wickets for 95 runs, being bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs.

Minhas claimed six wickets for 40 runs, including key dismissals of Banton, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, and Jamie Overton. He also ran out the final England batsman to end the innings. Additionally, Naseem Shah captured the important wicket of Joe Root for 33, and Haris Rauf removed Sam Curran, who made 27.

England captain Harry Brook expressed disappointment over his team’s failure to build partnerships despite a promising start. “We were quite happy by limiting them under 300 and then the openers set the tone beautifully, but we could not put on partnerships and ended up on the wrong side,” he said.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi praised his team’s performance as they seek to build towards next year’s World Cup. “As a team we have shown progress... The form of Arafat and the fast bowlers are good signs for us,” he stated.

Pakistan had earlier defeated Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the tournament opener. England will face Sri Lanka in the tri-series’ third match on Thursday, also in Rawalpindi.