Joe Root walks back into the England captaincy on Wednesday with a side still finding its shape after Ben Stokes’ retirement, and he couldn’t have picked a more familiar ground to do it on. Headingley hosts the first of three Tests, and both teams arrive with plenty to prove after rough patches in their last completed series.
Babar Azam’s fitness has become the story of the build-up after a hand injury in the Beckenham warm-up, and he has been ruled out of the 1st Test Match. Cricket Insider UK has broken down everything you need on team news, the pitch, the weather and how to watch.
England vs Pakistan 1st Test Match Details
This opener is the first of a three match series and carries significant weight in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, with both sides sitting near the bottom of the table.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | England vs Pakistan, 1st Test |
| Dates | Wednesday 19 to Sunday 23 August 2026 |
| Venue | Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds |
| Start time | 11:00am BST daily |
| Series | Part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship |
| England captain | Joe Root |
| Pakistan captain | Salman Ali Agha |
| Interim head coach (ENG) | Marcus Trescothick |
(Source: ECB, ICC)
For the full three match itinerary, check our full series schedule, and the full touring squad named by Pakistan for the tour.
England and Pakistan Predicted Playing XI at Headingley
Neither side has settled its final eleven, and the number three slot for England remains the one genuine toss up heading into matchday.
England Predicted XI
- Ben Duckett
- Emilio Gay
- Jordan Cox or Ollie Pope
- Joe Root (captain)
- Harry Brook
- Dan Lawrence
- Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper)
- Gus Atkinson
- Jofra Archer
- Brydon Carse or Ollie Robinson
- Shoaib Bashir
Pakistan Predicted XI
- Imam ul Haq
- Abdullah Shafique
- Shan Masood
- Saud Shakeel
- Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper)
- Salman Ali Agha (captain)
- Aamer Jamal
- Sajid Khan or Ali Usman
- Mohammad Abbas
- Mohammad Ali
- Khurram Shahzad
*Doubtful for the match.
(Source: ESPNcricinfo, Sky Sports)
Team News and Injury Updates
Both squads have selection headaches heading into the opener, and the calls made here will shape the whole series.
England:
- Jacob Bethell is out for the entire series with a right knee injury, opening the door for Jordan Cox at three.
- Jofra Archer returns to the Test side after missing the New Zealand series.
- Brydon Carse is back after recovering from a hand injury.
- Ollie Pope has been recalled to the squad and could feature instead of Cox.
Pakistan:
- Babar Azam carries a hand injury from the warm up match and is ruled out of this test match.
- Shan Masood has recovered from a fractured finger and is available.
- Saud Shakeel scored an unbeaten century in the Beckenham warm up and pushes his case for a middle order spot.
- Emilio Gay’s opposite number, Mohammad Abbas, brings over 300 County Championship wickets worth of experience in these conditions.
(Source: PCB, ECB, ESPNcricinfo)
Headingley Pitch Report
Headingley has a reputation for helping the ball move early, and that usually shapes the toss decision more than anything else.
| Pitch Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 85 |
| Won batting first | 29 |
| Won bowling first | 37 |
| Average 1st innings score | 300 |
| Average 4th innings score | 169 |
| Highest team total | 653/4 (Australia vs England) |
| Lowest team total | 61 (West Indies vs England) |
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
Cloud cover and moisture tend to give the new ball extra bite in the first session, and the surface then flattens out for batting once it’s older. Spinners can find some help from the footmarks by day four or five.
Weather Forecast for the Headingley Test
Rain looks set to interrupt at least a couple of sessions across the five days, which could shape how positively both captains approach the toss.
| Day | Conditions | High | Rain Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 19 Aug | Partly sunny | 19°C | 25% |
| Thu 20 Aug | Heavy rain likely | 18°C | 93% |
| Fri 21 Aug | Afternoon showers | 17°C | 80% |
| Sat 22 Aug | Sunny intervals | 19°C | 5% |
| Sun 23 Aug | Sunny spells | 19°C | 8% |
(Source: AccuWeather)
England vs Pakistan Recent Form and Head to Head in Tests
England head into this series off the back of a rocky year, while Pakistan arrive with a touch more confidence than they’ve had in some time.
| Team | Recent Form | WTC Standing |
|---|---|---|
| England | Lost 7 of last 9 Tests, no series win since December 2024 | 7th |
| Pakistan | Ended an 8 match away losing run, drew last series 1-1 vs West Indies | 8th |
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
The head-to-head record between these two sides stretches back decades and remains close even now.
| Category | England | Pakistan |
|---|---|---|
| Total Tests | 92 | 92 |
| Wins | 30 | 23 |
| Draws | 39 | 39 |
| At Headingley (10 Tests) | 6 wins | 1 win, 3 draws |
| Last series (2024, in Pakistan) | Lost 1-2 | Won 2-1 |
(Source: ICC, ESPNcricinfo)
For the complete breakdown across formats and venues, see our head-to-head record.
Key Player Battles to Watch
A handful of individual contests could end up deciding this Test on their own.
- Joe Root vs Mohammad Abbas: Abbas will target a tight line outside off, the same method that’s troubled Root before.
- Mohd. Rizwan vs Jofra Archer: Pace and bounce against Rizwan’s unorthodox technique.
- Saud Shakeel vs Gus Atkinson: Shakeel arrives in form after his warm up century, Atkinson will test him with hard lengths.
(Source: Sky Sports)
England vs Pakistan Live Streaming and TV Channels
There’s no single global broadcaster for this series, so where you watch depends entirely on your location.
- UK: Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event, streaming via Sky Go and NOW.
- Pakistan: PTV Sports, Ten Sports and A Sports on TV, with Tapmad covering it digitally.
- India: No official TV broadcast, but FanCode carries the live stream.
(Source: Sky Sports, PTV Sports, FanCode)
For a full regional breakdown across every match of the series, see our full streaming guide.
Root and Babar Both Return to Lead Their Sides Under Pressure at Headingley
This opener carries far more than the usual first Test weight, with both captains returning to the role under a cloud and World Test Championship points on the line for two struggling sides. England’s home record here gives them the edge on paper, but Pakistan’s new ball pairing and improving batting form make this closer than it looks.
Cricket Insider UK will have team news, toss updates and live coverage throughout the match.
