Pakistan vs England Test Series 2026: Schedule, Squads & Captains

Pakistan tour England for a three-match Test series starting August 19, and the squads alone only tell half the story: both sides are opening a new leadership chapter, with Joe Root returning as England's Test captain and Babar Azam returning to lead Pakistan after three years out of the role.

Full Schedule

• 1st TestAug 19-23, Headingley, Leeds
• 2nd TestAug 27-31, Lord's, London
• 3rd TestSep 9-13, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Play starts at 11:00 AM BST each day. Both sides carry meaningful implications for the World Test Championship 2025-27 standings into this series; for the full context on how that table works and who else is competing for a place in the final, see our India vs Sri Lanka Test series coverage, part of the same WTC cycle.

Joe Root's Return to the Captaincy

This series marks a genuine changing of the guard for England Test cricket. Following Ben Stokes' retirement and the end of the "Bazball" era under Brendon McCullum, Joe Root steps back into the England Test captaincy. Marcus Trescothick takes over as interim head coach, with Stephen Fleming set to formally begin his tenure as head coach later in the year, after this series.

Babar Azam's Return as Pakistan Captain

On the other side, Babar Azam returns to lead Pakistan in Tests after three years away from the role, his first assignment as captain since a Test against Sri Lanka in July 2023. Shan Masood, who had been captaining the side, remains part of the squad. The captaincy change comes after a difficult recent stretch for Pakistan's Test team, and represents a deliberate reset heading into this series.

England Squad (First Two Tests)

• Joe Root (c)Test captain
• Jamie SmithWicketkeeper
• Ben DuckettOpener
• Jordan CoxNew No. 3, replacing injured Jacob Bethell
• Harry BrookMiddle order
• Ollie PopeRecalled after strong domestic form
• Dan LawrenceRecalled after leading Surrey's County Championship run-scoring
• Jofra ArcherPace bowler
• Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Matthew Fisher, Ollie Robinson, Josh TonguePace bowling options
• Shoaib BashirSpinner
• Emilio GaySquad member

Pakistan Squad

Pakistan named a 17-member squad for the series, led by Babar Azam and including four uncapped players. The names are below.

• Babar Azam (c)Test captain
• Shan MasoodPrevious captain, remains in squad
• Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Ghazi GhoriWicketkeepers
• Imam Ul Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel(subject to fitness), Muhammad Awais Zafar, Aamir JamalBatters & All-Rounders
• Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Sajid Khan, Ali Usman, Ubaid ShahBowlers

Warm-Up Match

As with most touring Test series, Pakistan play a warm-up fixture ahead of the first Test to help players adjust to English conditions before the series proper begins. Details on opposition and venue for the practice match typically get confirmed closer to the tour, so check for updates as the series approaches.

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