Cricket · Tour of England
Pakistan begin a three-Test tour of England at Headingley on 19 August, the first leg of a series that runs through Lord’s and finishes at Edgbaston in September.
The short version: three Tests, three venues, played as part of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle. Babar Azam captains a squad mixing established Test players with newer selections. First ball at Headingley on 19 August.
The schedule
Three Tests across three weeks, at three of England’s most established grounds.
| Test | Venue | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First Test | Headingley, Leeds | From 19 August |
| Second Test | Lord’s, London | From 27 August |
| Third Test | Edgbaston, Birmingham | 9–13 September |
The gap between the second and third Tests is unusually long, which gives both
squads a genuine reset in the middle of the series — useful for a touring side
managing workloads, less useful if you have momentum and want to press it.
What the venues ask of a touring side
Headingley
Traditionally the most bowler-friendly of the three, particularly in the first
two sessions if there is cloud cover. Winning the toss matters here more than at
most English grounds, and Pakistan’s top order will be tested early rather than
allowed to settle.
Lord’s
The slope is the thing every touring bowler talks about and few master on a
first visit. It moves the ball across the batter in ways that reward bowlers who
adjust their line quickly, and punishes those who bowl the same length they would
anywhere else.
Edgbaston
In September the ball tends to do less than in August, and the surface usually
offers more to spin as the match progresses. If the series is alive going into the
third Test, this is where a spinner decides it.
The squad
Babar Azam leads a squad built around a blend of experienced Test cricketers and
emerging players. The selection question that follows Pakistan into every English
tour is the same one: how many seamers, and whether to pick a specialist spinner in
conditions that historically offer them little until late.
Pakistan’s record in England is not a batting problem or a bowling
problem. It is a first-innings problem.
Touring sides that concede a big first-innings deficit in England rarely recover,
because the fourth-innings chase on a worn English pitch is among the hardest
assignments in the game. Pakistan’s series will likely be decided by whether the top
order can survive the opening session on each of the three first mornings.
Why the World Test Championship makes this matter
The series forms part of the 2025–2027 World Test Championship cycle, which
changes the arithmetic considerably. In the WTC era, away series carry disproportionate
weight, because points are calculated as a percentage of those available and every
result compounds across a two-year table.
A drawn series in England is a respectable outcome in isolation. In a championship
cycle it can be the difference between contending for a final and spending the second
year of the cycle playing for pride.
How to follow it from Pakistan
- Play in England typically starts at 11am local time, which is 3pm PKT
during British Summer Time — convenient for evening viewing rather than the
overnight starts that Australian and New Zealand tours demand. - Each Test runs five days, with the third finishing on 13 September.
- The long break between the second and third Tests means a fortnight with no
Test cricket in the middle of the tour.
It has been a strong stretch for Pakistani sport in other disciplines —
Anum Uzair won
the country’s first Galiyat mountain trail ultra marathon last month, and
eight
Pakistani women summited a 6,040-metre peak in July. Cricket remains the sport
that stops the country, but it is no longer the only one producing results.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Pakistan vs England Test series start?
The first Test begins at Headingley in Leeds on 19 August 2026.
How many Tests are in the series?
Three. Headingley from 19 August, Lord’s from 27 August, and Edgbaston from 9 to 13 September.
Who is captaining Pakistan?
Babar Azam leads the Test squad for the tour.
Does this series count towards the World Test Championship?
Yes. It is part of the 2025–2027 WTC cycle, where results are weighted as a percentage of available points, so away series carry significant value.
What time do the matches start in Pakistan?
Play in England usually begins at 11am local time, which is about 3pm Pakistan time during British Summer Time.
Why is there such a long gap before the third Test?
The third Test is scheduled from 9 September, roughly a fortnight after the second at Lord’s, giving both squads a break in the middle of the tour.
Where is the final Test being played?
Edgbaston in Birmingham, from 9 to 13 September 2026.
