England vs Pakistan Test 2026: Everything You Need to Know
England and Pakistan renew one of Test cricket’s most competitive rivalries in a three-match series in August and September 2026. The series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 and will be played at Headingley, Lord’s and Edgbaston.
The contest also marks a significant change for England. Joe Root has returned as Test captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement, while Marcus Trescothick is serving as interim head coach before Stephen Fleming takes over after the Pakistan series. Pakistan, meanwhile, arrive under the captaincy of Babar Azam, who was reinstated as Test captain in July.
With the opening Test beginning on 19 August, both teams have already confirmed their touring squads. Pakistan also come into the series after drawing 1-1 with the West Indies, while England lost their most recent Test series 2-1 to New Zealand.
How Many Test Matches Will Be Played?
England and Pakistan will play three Test matches in 2026.
All three fixtures count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27, making the series important beyond the bilateral rivalry. The schedule runs from 19 August to 13 September, with the matches spread across Yorkshire, London and Birmingham.
A three-Test series leaves little room for either side to recover from a poor start. England will have home conditions in their favour, while Pakistan will look to exploit their recent experience in international cricket and the skills of their seam and spin attacks.
When Will The Test Matches Be Played?
The dates have been officially confirmed. All three Tests are scheduled to begin at 11:00am BST.
1st Test: 19–23 August – Headingley, Leeds
2nd Test: 27–31 August – Lord’s, London
3rd Test: 9–13 September – Edgbaston, Birmingham
The opening match is due to begin on Wednesday 19 August, followed by the second Test from Thursday 27 August. After the second match, there is a longer gap before the series finale begins on Wednesday 9 September.
Each Test can run for up to five days under standard playing conditions, although a match can finish earlier if there is a result.
Where Will The Test Matches Be Played?
The three Tests will be staged at three of England’s best-known international grounds.
Headingley, Leeds – 19–23 August
Lord’s, London – 27–31 August
Edgbaston, Birmingham – 9–13 September
The venues offer different challenges. Headingley has traditionally offered assistance to seamers, particularly when conditions are cloudy, while Lord’s and Edgbaston can provide their own variations in movement, bounce and pace as matches progress. The conditions will influence selection, particularly the balance between fast bowlers and spin options.
What Are The Test Match Squads?
The squads are no longer a matter of speculation: both boards have announced their selections.
England’s squad reflects the beginning of the post-Stokes era, with Root now leading the Test side. Pakistan have also undergone a leadership change, with Babar replacing Shan Masood as captain.
The squads contain a mixture of established Test players and less experienced options. England have particularly strong depth in their pace department, while Pakistan have selected a number of bowlers capable of operating effectively with the Dukes ball in English conditions.
England Test Match Squad
England have selected a 16-player squad for the Pakistan series. Joe Root is captain, while Dan Lawrence returns to the Test set-up and is among the players competing for the position vacated by Stokes. Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith and other relatively inexperienced players also provide England with additional options.
England squad:
Joe Root (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sam Cook, Matthew Fisher, Ollie Robinson, Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue.
Joe Root’s return to the captaincy is one of the central storylines. He previously led England for 64 Tests and remains the country’s leading Test run-scorer.
Pakistan Test Match Squad
Pakistan have named a 17-player squad for the England tour, with Saud Shakeel added subject to fitness. Babar Azam is the captain, having returned to the role ahead of the West Indies and England Tests.
Pakistan squad:
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Ghazi Ghori (wk), Awais Zafar, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Fazal, Aamer Jamel, Salman Ali Agha, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan, Ubaid Shah, Ali Usman.
Pakistan’s attack includes experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas, whose accuracy and knowledge of English conditions could be particularly valuable. Sajid Khan and Ali Usman provide spin options, while Mohammad Rizwan remains an important part of the batting and wicketkeeping units.
Who Are Favourites To Win The Test?
England enter the series as the pre-series favourites, particularly for the opening Test at Headingley. Home advantage and familiarity with English conditions are important factors, although Pakistan’s recent eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in Trinidad provides evidence that they can win overseas.
The betting market should not be treated as a prediction with any certainty. Test cricket can change dramatically over five days, and factors such as toss results, weather, pitch conditions, team selection and injuries can all influence the outcome.
Pakistan will also be encouraged by their recent overseas victory and the return of Babar to the captaincy. England, meanwhile, will be attempting to start the Root era positively after a 2-1 series defeat against New Zealand.
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