England Men and England Women will host five international teams across all formats in a busy 2026. This summer will be very special for women’s cricket, as England Women will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at home from 12 June to 5 July. This will bring global attention to women’s cricket.

The England Men’s team will also have an exciting summer of cricket. As the race for the ICC World Test Championship heats up, England will host New Zealand and Pakistan for three Test matches each.

England's 2026 Cricket Summer: Full of Action Across Formats

The first men's Test against Pakistan at Headingley in August will be the only Test played north of Nottingham. England's men will begin their summer on 4 June at Lord's with the first of three Tests against New Zealand.

In July, they will play five T20s and three one-day internationals (ODIs) against India, followed by a three-Test series against Pakistan. After that, they will play T20s and ODIs against Sri Lanka in September.

Also Read -Glenn Maxwell reveals Australia's batting line-up ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Schedule Adjustments and Key Highlights

The second and third men’s Tests and the first two India T20s will overlap with the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England. To avoid a clash with the men’s Test series starting on 19 August, The Hundred has been moved a week earlier from its 2025 schedule.

The last Test of the summer will be held at Edgbaston from 9 September. Meanwhile, The Kia Oval will host the final white-ball match of the summer, instead of its usual role of hosting the final Test.

It has also been confirmed that the England Lions will play a three-day warm-up match against the senior England men’s team before the first Ashes Test in Perth. The Lions will then stay in Australia to play a Cricket Australia XI during the first Ashes Test and face Australia A in Brisbane during the second Test.

Yorkshire chief executive Sanjay Patel has questioned the decision not to host any Ashes Tests in the north in 2027. However, Emirates Old Trafford is set to host a Test in early 2027 before the Ashes series begins.

ECB CEO Richard Gould said, “We’re really excited to unveil what promises to be a spectacular summer of international cricket in 2026. With world-class opposition visiting iconic venues across the country, fans will have the chance to witness the very best of the men’s and women’s game.”

2026 Summer Test fixtures are HERE! 🏏

A seven Test match summer! 😍

Full Test fixtures! 👇

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 28, 2025

England Men’s Test Fixtures for Summer 2026

Against New Zealand:

• 1st Test – 4 to 8 June, Lord’s, London
• 2nd Test – 17 to 21 June, The Oval, London
• 3rd Test – 25 to 29 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Against Pakistan:

• 1st Test – 19 to 23 July, Headingley, Leeds
• 2nd Test – 27 to 31 August, Lord’s, London
• 3rd Test – 9 to 13 September, Edgbaston, Birmingham

England Women’s Test Fixture:

One-off Test – 10 to 13 July, Lord’s, London

A match overshadowed by a controversial decision by the umpire. Pakistan was furious about a decision to declare then the England captain Graham Gooch.

 It was an England vs Pakistan Test match at Leeds in 1992. England was looking not so elegant while chasing a target of 99. The visiting side bowlers were tapping every possible way to defend the small target when the controversial decision came, which probably left a huge impact on the match.

Pakistan was furious when Graham Gooch was given not out, despite being a long way short of his crease on a run-out appeal at Headingley. Gooch then went on to score 37 in the second innings and got the much-needed win for his team. Apart from the umpire's controversial call, the match was full of some individual brilliance.

Read More: [WATCH] ENG VS IND 4TH: Mohammed Siraj clean bowled Chris Woakes

Reverse swing dismantled England batting line-up 

Debutant Neil Mallender bagged a total of 8 wickets in the match, including a 5-wicket haul. From Pakistan, a spell from Waqar Younis caused a collapsing England batting unit. At a point in the first innings, England was 292-3; from there, they lost the rest of their men at 320. The last six batters managed only two runs between them.

Younis, with his reverse swing, ran over the English lower batting order. Multiple shouts from them were turned down by the umpire, which also left them naturally unhappy. Saleem Malik, in both innings, was brilliant in the middle order, scoring unbeaten 82-run and unbeaten 84-run knocks. 

ENG vs PAK, 4th Test, Leeds, July 23 - 26, 1992, Pakistan tour of England:

Pakistan: 197 and 221

England: 320 and 99/4 (Target 99)

England won by 6 wickets. 

Pakistan is set to tour England in the summer of 2026 for a highly anticipated three-match Test series, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday. The red-ball series will form part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle and will be played across three iconic venues in August and September.

The opening Test will be held at Headingley in Leeds from 19 to 23 August, followed by the second Test at Lord’s in London from 27 to 31 August. The tour will conclude with the third and final Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham from 9 to 13 September. All matches are scheduled to start at 3:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PKT).

This will be Pakistan’s fourth Test series in England since 2016 and the 29th bilateral Test series between the two sides since they first met in 1954. With a rich history between the two teams and the matches being played at venues deeply woven into cricketing folklore, fans on both sides are eagerly looking forward to a high-quality contest.

Shaheen's Tour Lays Foundation as England Gears Up for Blockbuster 2026 Summer

Currently, Pakistan Shaheens, the country’s A team, are on a developmental tour in England, participating in 50-over and three-day matches. That series is expected to further build depth ahead of the senior side's return in 2026.

ALSO SEE: Know the schedule for England in bumper 2026 summer

For England, the tour of Pakistan is just one of the more full on international summer of 2026, with visits from New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, and women’s series against New Zealand, India, and Ireland, and topped off by the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 which England host between 12 June and 15 July.

The Test series in 2026 will add another compelling chapter to the traditional rivalry between England and Pakistan, with important World Test Championship points at stake and fierce and passionate crowds expected at all of the venues.

Pakistan Tour of England – 2026 Test Series Schedule 

Captain Ben Stokes is set to make his much-anticipated return to the England cricket team for the second Test against Pakistan, starting Tuesday in Multan. After recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the previous matches, Stokes aims to lead his side to another victory following their impressive win in the first Test.

Stokes back in action

Ben Stokes has been declared fit to play after successfully bowling in the nets, signalling his readiness to take on the role of a third seamer. The all-rounder acknowledges the importance of being sensible with his bowling workload but expresses confidence in making an impactful return to the field.

England's strong line-up

Joining Stokes in the team is Durham seamer Matthew Potts, making his comeback since the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka at the end of August. Meanwhile, seamers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes have been rested to maintain their fitness for future matches. England's impressive performance in the first Test saw them secure a resounding innings victory, led by remarkable individual performances from Harry Brook and Joe Root.

See Also: Why has Cameron Green been ruled out of the Border Gavaskar Trophy?

Captain Stokes' return is a significant boost for the England squad, which has already shown its mettle by winning the first Test by an innings and 47 runs. Stokes spoke candidly about his recovery journey, noting that he initially considered playing solely as a batsman. However, he ultimately felt ready to contribute with the ball as well, stating, "Those were the sort of thoughts that went through my head at home before we came out."

In the first Test, England's remarkable batting display was led by Harry Brook, who scored a stunning 317, and Joe Root, who added 262 runs. This performance was historic, as Pakistan became the first team in Test cricket's 147-year history to lose by an innings after scoring over 550 runs in their first innings. As the second Test approaches, the focus is on whether Stokes can make a significant impact in leading his team to another victory in Multan.

Following Liam Livingstone‘s departure from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season, Rajasthan Royals bid farewell to another English cricketer as explosive batsman Jos Buttler exits the tournament to fulfil his national commitments.

Buttler’s Farewell: Rajasthan Royals Lose a Key Player

In a poignant video shared by the Rajasthan Royals’ official social media handle, Jos Buttler is seen bidding farewell to his teammates before departing from the Royals’ camp. His departure leaves a void in the team, depriving Rajasthan of a critical player known for his explosive batting prowess.

Liam Livingstone’s Departure: English Exodus from IPL Continues

The exit of Jos Buttler marks the continuation of a trend wherein English players have been leaving the IPL midway to prepare for international duties. Liam Livingstone’s departure preceded Buttler’s exit, adding to the list of English stars relinquishing their IPL campaigns for national duty.

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Liam Livingstone’s premature departure from the IPL was driven by concerns over his fitness, particularly his troublesome knee. Having suffered from a series of muscle injuries recently, Livingstone prioritized his recovery for the T20 World Cup to ensure his availability for England’s campaign.

ECB’s Call: National Duty Beckons for England Players

The decision to leave the IPL stems from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) call for World Cup-bound players to return to the national setup ahead of the crucial series against Pakistan. With the T20Is against Pakistan serving as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming T20 World Cup, key players like Buttler become imperative for England.

Following Livingstone and Buttler’s exit, the rest of England’s World Cup squad members who participated in the IPL are expected to return home. Players like Will Jacks, Reece Topley, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Phil Salt will join their teammates in England, where they will regroup ahead of the series against Pakistan. The squad is scheduled to reconvene in Leeds ahead of England’s first T20I against Pakistan at Headingley on May 22.

Reunion in Leeds: England Squad Gathers for T20I Against Pakistan

The England squad’s reunion in Leeds marks the beginning of a crucial phase in their preparation for the T20 World Cup. As players regroup and focus shifts towards the series against Pakistan, anticipation builds among fans as they eagerly await the team’s performance on home soil.

In 2019 Pakistan went into their last league game needing a win margin of 300+ to make the top four. Now, they are in a similar spot needing a margin of 287 runs. In all likelihood, they are set to miss out due to net run rate again which will be a lot more hurtful considering they were one of the contenders for the top four coming into the tournament.

England though is putting to close a terrible tournament. The upcoming game could see a lot of farewells. Moeen Ali has hinted at some changes, while Ben Stokes and his journey with the ODI Team remains a question. Jos Buttler’s future as captain and the spots of most of the side are up for grabs. Irrespective, the upcoming game, a chance to seal a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy is likely to be the last time a Golden generation of English players who came together in 2015 play together.

ENG vs PAK Match Details

Date: November 11th, 2023

Time:  2:00 PM IST

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

ENG vs PAK Weather Report

The weather looks pretty clear for the upcoming fixture.

ENG vs PAK Pitch Report

Kolkata has been good for spin and batting first could be a better option.

ENG vs PAK Head-to-Head

ENG vs PAK Predicted Playing XI

PAK Playing XI

Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shahfique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Ifthikar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali/ Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim

ENG Playing XI

Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse

See Also: Uncertainty surrounds Lockie Ferguson’s fitness

ENG vs PAK Key Players

Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler will be facing a lot of questions after the tournament and will want to reduce some of the questions with a good knock in a tournament that has seen him not contribute much with the bat. He will see a lot of his teammates moving around after the game and will hope to remain a constant as England look to come back from a bad tournament.

Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf was front and center in the action against South Africa. Had his appeal gone the other way, Pakistan would be a step ahead in the race to the Semi-Finals. Small margins though make a massive difference and Haris Rauf will know that well.

ENG vs PAK Match Tips

Although Pakistan are the one chasing a semi-final spot, England could spring a surprise with an era of players ending their Final tournament together in ODI Cricket.

Match Prediction: England Will Win the Match

For the majority of the fourth day, Pakistan was well ahead. They continued the procedures with 157 runs expected while England needed to pick six wickets. Mohammad Nawaz and Saud Shakeel put together a tenacious partnership that scored 80 runs before Ben Stokes delegated control to Mark Wood, who struck out both batters to shift the game’s momentum. However, Pakistan supporters were enraged by Shakeel’s dismissal because the decision was contentious. Before Pakistan captain Babar Azam broke his silence on the wicket, the controversial England dismissal received a lot of criticism on social media.

At lunch, in the 94th over of Pakistan’s chase, the dismissal occurred.

Wood angled the ball down towards the leg side and continued his short-ball strategy. Shakeel tried to play the pull shot, but he gloved it, and the wicketkeeper Pope made a diving catch on his right. Review was carried out right away. The weak signal had gone out.

Replays showed Pope grabbing the ball, but after completing the dive, he grounded it. Joel Wilson, the third umpire, took a long time to review the inclusive replays and ultimately gave the soft signal that had been given earlier.

Shakeel returned to the pavilion with a score of 94 off 213 balls, looking well positioned for what could have been his first century and the match-winning hit for Pakistan.

“The Shakeel dismissal cost us. It looked to us as if the ball had touched the ground. As a professional, you have to respect the umpire’s decision, but we felt the ball had been grounded.” 

he said. 

ALSO READ: England seal the series in 26-run thriller against Pakistan

Abrar Ahmed appeared to pose a threat to England after lunch with a rash of boundaries, but James Anderson ended his entertaining cameo with 17 runs. England won a historic series thanks to Pakistan’s quick loss of their final two wickets. Then again, Pakistan hit a low after very nearly fifty years, having lost three sequential Tests at home this year.

Pakistan lost the key wicket of half centurion Imam-ul-Haq late on the third day to give England renewed hope in the second cricket test on Sunday. Pakistan finished the day on 198-4. Needs a further 157 to deny England a second successive victory in the three-match series.

England, which held a 79-run first-innings lead, had set up another imposing target of 355 runs. A deteriorating Multan Cricket Stadium wicket after it was bowled out for 275 in its second innings. The tourists had already successfully defended 342 runs. On a flat wicket in the first test to clinch a 74-run win at Rawalpindi in England’s first test in Pakistan for 17 years.

Solid stuff in the final session 👏

All to play for on Day Four.#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/r5xL4zvpBJ

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 11, 2022

The lefthanded pair of Imam, who made 60, and Saud Shakeel (54 not out) had thwarted England seam and spin for just over 2-1/2 hours. Shared a 108-run stand before Imam played a lose drive against Jack Leach. The lefthander put his head down in despair before leaving the field as Leach provided the much-needed breakthrough.

Also Read: BAN vs IND: ‘Could have scored 300′: Kishan’s statement after record-smashing double century

Both lefthanded batters showed grit and determination and used their feet well against England’s spinners until Imam’s miscue. England had earlier missed an opportunity to dismiss Imam soon after he completed his half-century. Television replays showed a tiny spike on Imam’s bat when he tried to glance Mark Wood down the legside delivery. However, captain Ben Stokes didn’t go for the referral.

Third fifty in four innings – @saudshak shows his class once again 🌟#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/iUUvvh4loG

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 11, 2022

James Anderson, OIlie Robinson and Wood had baffled Pakistan with a superb display of seam and swing bowling in the middle session. Claiming three wickets for 17 runs before Imam and Shakeel dug in and took Pakistan to 136-3 at tea.

During a Test match against Pakistan in Rawalpindi, the England cricket team, led by Ben Stokes, played a style of cricket that was jaw-dropping. In the first test, the English team was praised for its bravery and emerged victorious in all three areas of the game.

The England team broke world records in Test cricket by a significant margin during their historic 74-run victory.

Most runs in a decisive Test match

There were 1768 runs scored in the Test match. Pakistan scored 579 runs while England scored 657 in the first innings. In the second innings, the three lions scored 264 runs at a run rate of over 7, while Pakistan scored 268 runs in their chase. As a result, the first Test between these two teams became the match with the most runs scored in a Test match that ended in a win. Before this, a match between England and Australia in 1921 produced a record total of 1753 runs.

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Record double-century opening stands

Additionally, the only match with two opening stands of a double century is the Test match. Before Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique smashed 225 runs for the first wicket in the first innings, England’s Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett scored a massive 233-run partnership.

All openers scored hundreds in the first innings

This is also the only match in which each of the four openers has scored hundreds in the first innings. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley each scored 107 runs, while Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq scored 121 runs and 114 runs, respectively.

Record runs scored on opening day

By scoring the most runs on the first day of a Test match, the England cricket team cemented its place in cricket history. On Day 1 of a Test match, England’s score of 506/4 is 12 runs more than Sri Lanka’s score of 494.

Most tons on a single day of a Test match

In addition, the England batsmen hold the record for the most hundreds scored in a single Test day. On a flat pitch in Rawalpindi, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook all hit tons. They currently hold the record for the most tons shipped in a single day.

Most runs in the opening session

Additionally, the English team now holds the record for the most runs scored in a single Test opening session. On Day 1, they scored 174 runs in the first session.

Jimmy is exceptional, nothing more or less. The record books fell in the ongoing Test match between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi because of the excellent batting by both teams. However, the old horse Jimmy Anderson, who can compete with anyone, is rarely mentioned. 

The Test match has been a run-fest in which both teams are scoring a lot of runs.

Heavy scrutiny has been paid to the pitch, which is certainly not conducive to bowling. Despite all the criticism, England’s steadfast James Anderson has reached a new milestone. 

The English legend has surpassed Anil Kumble’s record of 956 wickets (ODIs, Tests, and T20Is) with his two wickets in the second innings of the England vs. Pakistan Test match. James Anderson is currently the third-highest wicket-taker in history with 957. Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 1347 wickets, and Shane Warne, who has 1001 wickets, are close behind Anderson at the moment. It is interesting to note that Anderson is the only active bowler among the top five players. 

The right-arm pace bowler has taken 18 wickets in T20Is, 269 in ODIs, and 670 in Tests. In the 2003 match against Zimbabwe at Lord’s, Anderson made his Test debut for England and has never looked back. Anderson was born in Burnley, Lancashire. At the time, he was probably one of the best swing bowlers in the world. In a sensational spell against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, Anderson gave the world a glimpse of his talent shortly after making his debut. 

ALSO READ: ENG vs PAK: ENG wins by 74 runs!

In his early years, Anderson was thought to be too soft and lacked the talent to play at the international level. However, the English coaching staff did tweak his actions, and ever since, he has never looked back and has become one of the best athletes in cricket. Anderson’s activity is to such an extent that he produces a characteristic outswing with the old ball and furthermore switches it. Anderson is a bowler who is difficult to play when he is singing.