Pakistan’s tour of England in 2026 delivers a three-match Test series that feeds directly into the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, played across late August and September at three of England’s most historic grounds. It is the next chapter in a rivalry that first began in 1954.
Babar Azam returns to lead Pakistan for the series, while Joe Root leads England on a permanent basis for the first time since 2022, having stepped back into the role after Ben Stokes’ retirement. Every session carries weight, both for pride and for World Test Championship points, and England now go into the opener with a confirmed squad behind them.
In this article, Cricket Insider UK covers the schedule, squads, venues and what is at stake.
Pakistan Tour of England 2026 Schedule
None of the three Tests has been played yet, so the fixture list below carries a scheduled status, with both local British Summer Time and Indian Standard Time given for each start.
| Test | Dates | Venue (City) | Start Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 19-23 August 2026 | Headingley, Leeds | 11:00 BST / 15:30 IST |
| 2nd Test | 27-31 August 2026 | Lord’s, London | 11:00 BST / 15:30 IST |
| 3rd Test | 9-13 September 2026 | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 11:00 BST / 15:30 IST |
(Source: ECB)
Each Test is allotted the full five days. Results, scorecards and per match breakdowns will follow once the cricket is underway, and the series scoreline stands level until the opener at Headingley.
(Source: ECB)
Squads for Pakistan Tour of England 2026
Pakistan named a 17 man squad on 5 July 2026, blending senior names with four uncapped players, and England have since confirmed their own group for the first two Tests. The role by role lists below show how both touring parties are built.
Pakistan Squad
Babar takes over the captaincy from Shan Masood, returning to a role he last held in Tests in 2023. Saud Shakeel was included subject to proving his fitness before the series, so his availability is worth checking close to the first Test.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Babar Azam (captain) | Top-order batter |
| Shan Masood | Opening batter |
| Imam-ul-Haq | Opening batter |
| Azan Awais | Top-order batter |
| Abdullah Fazal | Batter |
| Saud Shakeel | Middle-order batter |
| Muhammad Awais Zafar | Batter (uncapped) |
| Mohammad Rizwan | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Muhammad Ghazi Ghori | Wicketkeeper-batter (uncapped) |
| Salman Ali Agha | Batting all-rounder |
| Aamir Jamal | All-rounder |
| Sajid Khan | Off-spinner |
| Ali Usman | Left-arm spinner (uncapped) |
| Mohammad Abbas | Pace bowler |
| Mohammad Ali | Pace bowler |
| Khurram Shahzad | Pace bowler |
| Ubaid Shah | Pace bowler (uncapped) |
(Source: Cricket Pakistan)
England Squad\
England have now named their 16 player squad for the first two Tests, and it leans heavily on players returning from injury or out of favour rather than a wholesale rebuild. Dan Lawrence comes back in after two years out of the side, Jordan Cox moves up to bat at three after Jacob Bethell’s knee injury ruled him out of the entire series, and Ollie Pope and Brydon Carse return for the first time since last winter’s Ashes.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Joe Root (captain) | Batter |
| Jofra Archer | Fast bowler |
| Gus Atkinson | Fast bowler |
| Shoaib Bashir | Off-spinner |
| Harry Brook | Batter |
| Brydon Carse | Fast bowler |
| Sam Cook | Seam bowler |
| Jordan Cox | Batter, wicketkeeper cover |
| Ben Duckett | Opening batter |
| Matthew Fisher | Fast bowler |
| Emilio Gay | Opening batter |
| Dan Lawrence | Batting all-rounder |
| Ollie Pope | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Ollie Robinson | Fast bowler |
| Jamie Smith | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Josh Tongue | Fast bowler |
(Source: ECB)
England’s national selector, Marcus North, explained the thinking behind the calls. Lawrence, he said, returns “following an exceptional season so far with Surrey” and brings “the right level of experience, maturity and skill” to the middle order, while Cox is “well regarded as one of the most exciting talents in English cricket” and gets his chance at three in Bethell’s absence.
(Source: ECB)
Key Storylines for the Series
The narrative threads running into this tour are unusually rich, from a captaincy return on both sides to a leadership overhaul at England, and all of it feeds into a rivalry with real history behind it.
- Babar Azam returns as Pakistan captain, replacing Shan Masood after a difficult tenure that produced 12 defeats from 16 Tests, including two whitewashes against Bangladesh. Masood keeps his place in the squad as a specialist batter.
- Pakistan arrive on the back of a series levelling win over West Indies, having lost the first Test by 90 runs before winning the second by eight wickets on the back of Abdullah Shafique’s unbeaten 160. That result lifted their World Test Championship points percentage out of single figures.
- Joe Root leads England on a permanent basis for the first time since 2022, taking over after Ben Stokes’ international retirement. This series marks his first assignment back in the role.
- Jacob Bethell’s knee injury has reshaped England’s top order. He picked up the problem during the ODI series against India last month and will miss all three Tests, opening the door for Jordan Cox at number three.
- Stephen Fleming has been appointed England’s new Test head coach, though he only takes charge after this series. Marcus Trescothick remains in interim control for the Pakistan Tests.
England still hold the overall edge in the all time Test count between the sides, a rivalry that stretches back to Pakistan’s first tour in 1954. Yet recent results have narrowed the gap. England have won just two of their last nine Tests, and with Pakistan sensing an opening on English soil, Root’s side can’t afford a slow start at Headingley.
(Source: ESPNcricinfo)
Pakistan Tour of England 2026 Venues
The three grounds chosen for the series each bring a distinct character, from Yorkshire’s roar to the grandeur of Lord’s, and the table below sets them side by side.
| Venue | City | Home Team | Approx. Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headingley | Leeds | Yorkshire CCC | 18,000 |
| Lord’s | London | MCC / Middlesex | 30,000 |
| Edgbaston | Birmingham | Warwickshire CCC | 25,000 |
(Source: News18)
Headingley opens the series in front of one of England’s most vocal crowds, on a surface that has often rewarded seam and swing, and it’s fitting that it’s also where Root returns to lead permanently. Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, hosts the second Test and has staged more England versus Pakistan matches than any other ground across formats. Edgbaston closes the tour with its famously loud atmosphere and a pitch that can offer spin and reverse swing as the match wears on.
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Pakistan Tour of England 2026 Starts From 19 August
Pakistan’s 2026 tour of England pairs a returning captain in Babar Azam against an England side now settled under a returning Joe Root, with Dan Lawrence and Jordan Cox both handed fresh responsibility in the middle order. With World Test Championship points on the line, neither side can afford a slow start.
Pakistan will draw confidence from their West Indies comeback, while England lean on home advantage and a reshaped batting order to reset a difficult run of form. The three grounds at Headingley, Lord’s and Edgbaston should offer varied challenges across the month.
From 19 August to 13 September, this compact series promises a genuine contest, and every session at these historic venues could tilt the balance.
