England had the game in their hands. Pakistan were 81 for 4 after 18 overs. The tri-series opener against England was slipping. Then a 21-year-old from Rawalpindi walked in and changed everything. He batted his team to 302. He came back and bowled England out for 215. He became only the third Pakistan male cricketer in ODI history to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in the same match. And England left Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium having been completely outplayed by a man they had never worried about when the lineups were announced.
The Result: Pakistan Win by 87 Runs
Pakistan beat England by 87 runs in the second match of the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 20, 2026. Pakistan posted 302 for 9 from their 50 overs. England were bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs. Pakistan lead the tri-series standings with four points from two wins.
England won the toss and elected to bowl first. It was a reasonable decision. The Rawalpindi surface had produced results when batting first but England’s bowling attack is formidable with both new and old ball. Their decision looked vindicated when Pakistan were reduced to 81 for 4 inside the first 18 overs.
Pakistan’s Innings: Minhas and Nawaz Build From the Ruins
Pakistan’s top order crumbled. Fakhar Zaman fell early. Babar Azam was dismissed at 14.2 overs. Salman Agha departed at 18.4 overs. Saad Baig fell at 27.3 overs. At 81 for 4, Pakistan were building a total that looked like falling well short of competitive.
Hasan Nawaz arrived and began rebuilding with patience and intent. He scored 79 and put on a sixth-wicket partnership of 50 in 48 balls with Arafat Minhas that steadied the innings completely. By the time the drinks break came at 32 overs, Pakistan were 161 for 5 with Nawaz on 52 and Minhas on 7. The platform was set.
Then Minhas accelerated. He and Faheem Ashraf put on a seventh-wicket partnership of 50 from just 35 balls. Minhas reached 59 off 58 balls before being caught at cover off Sonny Baker in the 48th over. Pakistan were 283 for 7 at that point. Ashraf fell at 285 for 8. Naseem was dismissed at 296 for 9. Pakistan finished on 302 for 9.
Sonny Baker was England’s best bowler with 3 for 65 from his ten overs. His removal of Minhas in the 48th over was the decisive bowling moment of England’s innings. Without it, Pakistan would have comfortably reached 320-plus.
England’s Chase: Minhas Destroys the Middle Order
England needed 303. They began well. Phil Salt and Zak Crawley put on an aggressive opening stand. At 96 for 1 in 15 overs, England were on track. The required rate was manageable. The situation looked comfortable. Then Arafat Minhas got the ball.
He had already scored 59 with the bat. Now he took the ball and systematically dismantled England’s batting lineup. He took 6 wickets from his ten overs, conceding just 39 runs at an economy rate of 3.90. His figures of 6 for 39 are the best by any Pakistan bowler in an ODI against England.
The wickets came in clusters that ended any realistic hope England had of chasing 303. He removed Will Jacks caught by Shaheen Shah Afridi. He dismissed Jamie Overton caught by Hasan Nawaz. He got Adil Rashid lbw. He took wickets throughout the innings until England were bowled out for 215 with 68 balls remaining.
The Historic Achievement: Third Pakistan Cricketer to Do the Double
ESPNCricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary confirmed it at the moment of England’s last wicket. Arafat Minhas became only the third male cricketer from Pakistan to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in the same ODI.
That specific achievement places him in exceptional company in Pakistani cricket history. The names alongside him in that list are players whose individual contributions defined Pakistan’s ODI identity across multiple decades. He is 21 years old. He has now done something only two Pakistani men before him ever managed in the format’s entire history.
His 59 off 58 balls with the bat showed he can construct innings under pressure. His 6 for 39 from ten overs showed he can take wickets across all phases of a bowling innings. The combination of both in a single match against a full-strength England side in Rawalpindi is one of the great individual all-round ODI performances in Pakistani cricket of recent years. The tradition of Pakistan producing allrounders who shape major bilateral series results is explored in our piece on the best cricket players in Pakistan cricket history.
Minhas: The Man Who Has Done It All in 2026
Minhas has been the most surprising Pakistani cricket revelation of 2026. Nobody had him on their radar twelve months ago. He was a domestic all-rounder building his profile through age-group cricket and regional competitions.
His notable performance in the Asian Games final. The T20I series against Sri Lanka. And now an ODI that belonged to him from the seventh-wicket partnership through to the last wicket he took in the 39th over. His career stats across 2026 read like a highlight reel that a screenwriter would reject for being too convenient.
He was born on January 2, 2005, in Multan. He made sure to make full use of this opportunity; winning a bilateral match against England at his home ground is the kind of story cricket generates when it is at its best.
Nawaz’s 79 Was the Foundation
While Minhas dominated the individual headlines, Hasan Nawaz’s 79 deserves specific recognition. He came in when Pakistan were 81 for 4. He stayed through the most difficult period of the innings. He reached his fifty off 46 balls with four fours and three sixes. He built the platform that allowed Minhas to play freely.
Without Nawaz’s 79, Pakistan reach 240 at best. With it, they reached 302. The difference between those two totals was the difference between England winning comfortably and England being bowled out with 11 overs to spare.
Tri-Series Standings After Two Matches
Pakistan have won both their matches so far. They beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs on October 18 with Salman Agha scoring 107 and Shaheen taking 3 for 55. They beat England by 87 runs on October 20 with Minhas scoring 59 and taking 6 for 39. Four points from two games. They lead the tri-series table. Sri Lanka and England have zero points from their respective opening matches.
The tri-series continues with England vs Sri Lanka on October 22 at Rawalpindi. Pakistan then play England again on October 25 in Lahore. The final is October 31 also in Lahore. Pakistan’s position at the top of the standings after two commanding wins puts them firmly on course for the final.
What This Means for Pakistan ODI Cricket Under Shaheen
Shaheen Shah Afridi has captained Pakistan to two consecutive ODI victories at home. The squad he leads is a specific mix of experienced and young players that reflects exactly the balance Pakistan cricket needs heading into the 2027 World Cup year. Babar Azam is back in the lineup. Haris Rauf is available with the new ball.
Minhas is providing the allround depth in the lower order that Pakistan’s ODI lineups have often lacked. The broader story of Pakistan’s captaincy evolution and what Shaheen’s leadership means for their white-ball program is explored in our piece on Pakistan cricket team captaincy past and future.
Conclusion
Arafat Minhas scored 59 off 58 balls and took 6 for 39 from ten overs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 20. Pakistan beat England by 87 runs. England were 81 for 4 when Minhas batted. They were bowled out for 215 when Minhas finished bowling. He became only the third Pakistani male cricketer in ODI history to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in the same match. Pakistan lead the ODI tri-series with four points from two wins. The 21-year-old from Rawalpindi beat England in his home city. Some stories in cricket write themselves.
