Brook admits England failed to build partnerships in defeat to Pakistan

England captain Harry Brook admitted that his side failed to build enough partnerships and put Pakistan’s bowlers under pressure after suffering an 87-run defeat in the second match of the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a target of 303, England were bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs, handing Pakistan a convincing victory after the hosts posted 302 for nine in their 50 overs.

Speaking during the post-match press conference, Brook said England were satisfied with their bowling performance in the first innings, believing they had restricted Pakistan to a total slightly below par on a good batting surface.

However, the visitors failed to capitalise on the platform provided by their opening batters.

“At the halfway stage, we were pretty happy with it. I thought we kept them just below par,” Brook said. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t manage to get it quite right with the bat.”

The England skipper praised the opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Phil Salt, but said the middle order failed to maintain the momentum as wickets fell in clusters.

“The story of the innings was just not enough partnerships really, and losing wickets in clumps,” he said.

Brook also acknowledged Pakistan’s disciplined bowling and outstanding fielding, describing the hosts’ overall performance as exceptional.

He singled out Pakistan’s young all-rounder Arafat Minhas for particular praise, admitting that he had made a decisive impact on the contest.

“He was a standout performer by a mile,” Brook said, adding that while battling England had been slightly too cautious against him and could have applied greater pressure.

Reflecting on his own approach against spin, Brook said he could have been more positive during the early stages of his innings.

He stressed that England needed to combine better strike rotation with a more aggressive approach during the middle overs.

“We’ve been speaking a lot about rotation of strike against spin through the middle overs, but we can still be putting the balls under pressure and looking to hit boundaries as well,” he said.

Brook also dismissed any suggestion that Pakistan’s performance had come as a surprise, describing the hosts as a strong international side with several exceptional players.

“No. Why would I be surprised? They’re an international side. They’re still a very strong side. They’re in the top five ODI sides in the world,” he said.

The England captain maintained that his bowlers had executed their plans effectively, keeping the stumps in play and maintaining disciplined lines and lengths to limit Pakistan to 302.

However, he conceded that Pakistan’s bowlers and fielders had performed better in the second innings, particularly as the conditions became more favourable for batting under the lights.

Brook said England would review their shortcomings before turning their attention to their next match against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

“We won’t go down without a fight, to be honest. We’ll always be there and thereabouts,” he said, expressing confidence that the team could respond positively after the defeat.

He added that England needed to put opposition bowlers under greater pressure while maintaining strike rotation, rather than allowing wickets to fall in quick succession.

Pakistan’s comprehensive victory underlined their strength in both departments, with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding ensuring England never recovered from their middle-order collapse.