England face Pakistan in the first Test of their three-match series at Headingley in Leeds from Wednesday, August 19 to Sunday, August 23, 2026. Play starts at 11:00 AM local time, 10:00 AM GMT and 3:30 PM IST. The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.
Both teams enter the series looking for a turnaround. England lost their recent home Test series against New Zealand 2-1, while Pakistan drew their two-match West Indies series 1-1 after winning the second Test by eight wickets. Pakistan then beat a Professional County Club Select XI by seven wickets in their warm-up match at Beckenham.
The biggest pre-match concern surrounds Pakistan captain Babar Azam. He took another blow to his right hand during the warm-up game and remains a match-day fitness decision. That matters for Dream11 because Babar appears in the supplied fantasy team.
ENG vs PAK Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | England vs Pakistan, 1st Test |
| Series | Pakistan Tour of England 2026 |
| Date | August 19-23, 2026 |
| Time | 11:00 AM local / 10:00 AM GMT / 3:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Headingley, Leeds |
| Format | Test, up to five days |
| Captains | Joe Root (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan, subject to fitness) |
| WTC Position | England: 7th, 24.36 PCT; Pakistan: 8th, 22.22 PCT |
| Recent Form | England lost their latest Test series to New Zealand 2-1. Pakistan drew 1-1 in the West Indies and won the second Test. |
| Recent H2H | Last five Tests: England 3 wins, Pakistan 2 wins. Pakistan won the last two meetings in October 2024. |
The fixture details are confirmed by ESPNcricinfo and Yorkshire Cricket. The current WTC positions come from the ICC’s August 17 update. ESPNcricinfo’s last-five record shows Pakistan winning the final two Tests of the 2024 series after England had won the previous three meetings.
Dream11 Team for ENG vs PAK, 1st Test
Top Picks for ENG vs PAK, 1st Test
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root | ENG | C / Batter | Captain pick. ESPNcricinfo’s current form guide lists Root with 855 runs from his last 10 Tests at an average of 47.50. He also returns as England’s permanent Test captain. |
| Ben Duckett | ENG | VC / Batter | Vice-captain in the supplied team. Duckett is part of England’s confirmed squad and is expected to continue in the opening role. |
| Harry Brook | ENG | Batter | ESPNcricinfo lists Brook with 742 runs from his last 10 Tests at an average of 41.22 and a strike rate above 86, giving him strong fantasy upside. |
| Babar Azam | PAK | Batter | Babar has 677 runs from his last nine Tests in ESPNcricinfo’s current form guide. He remains one of Pakistan’s main batting options, but his hand injury makes him a risky selection until the XI is confirmed. |
| Abdullah Shafique | PAK | Batter | Shafique comes into the tour after an unbeaten 160 against West Indies and followed that with 61 in the first innings of Pakistan’s Beckenham warm-up. |
| Josh Tongue | ENG | Bowler | ESPNcricinfo’s current form guide credits Tongue with 34 wickets from his last seven Tests, making him one of England’s leading wicket-taking options. |
| Mohammad Abbas | PAK | Bowler | Strong alternative outside the screenshot. Abbas has a career Test bowling average of about 22.4 and extensive county experience. He also took three wickets in the first innings of Pakistan’s warm-up match. |
Saud Shakeel is another player worth considering outside the supplied XI. He scored an unbeaten 100 in Pakistan’s successful fourth-innings chase against the County Select XI and enters Headingley with useful confidence.
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Headingley, Leeds |
| Pitch Type | Traditionally offers seam movement and bounce, particularly when there is cloud cover or moisture. The surface can become better for batting once players settle. |
| Average 1st Innings Score | Around 300 |
| Average 2nd Innings Score | Around 293 |
| Average 3rd Innings Score | Around 241 |
| Average 4th Innings Score | Around 169 |
| Pace vs Spin | Seamers should remain important, but Pakistan believe the unusually dry English summer could bring spin into the game as the pitch wears. |
| Toss Factor | Historical venue numbers show 37 wins for teams bowling first compared with 29 wins for teams batting first. |
Current Headingley Test statistics list average innings scores of approximately 300, 293, 241 and 169. They also show more victories for sides that bowled first than those that batted first.
The pitch should not automatically be treated as a pure seamer. Saud Shakeel believes England’s dry summer could bring spin into play, especially later in the Test. Pakistan could therefore consider Sajid Khan and Ali Usman alongside their seam attack.
Mohammad Abbas could be particularly dangerous if the ball moves. His control and extensive County Championship experience make him well suited to English conditions, while Mohammad Ali also took three first-innings wickets in the warm-up game.
Weather Report
The available Leeds forecasts currently differ slightly on exact temperatures, but both indicate a relatively mild Test with the main rain risk coming after Day 1.
| Day | Forecast |
|---|---|
| Day 1, August 19 | Partly sunny to cloudy. Current models put the high between roughly 20°C and 24°C. |
| Day 2, August 20 | Cloud and sunshine with a chance of showers. |
| Day 3, August 21 | Cooler and cloudier, with showers possible during the afternoon. |
| Day 4, August 22 | A mix of sunshine and cloud, with some forecast models showing a shower risk. |
| Day 5, August 23 | Mainly partly sunny to cloudy conditions, with temperatures around the high teens. |
| Overall | Day 1 currently looks the driest. Days 2-4 carry a greater chance of interruptions and could provide more assistance to the seamers. |
The weather forecast remains changeable, so conditions should be checked again on the morning of the match.
ENG vs PAK Toss Prediction
Bowling first gets a slight preference if there is visible grass, cloud cover or moisture on Wednesday morning. Headingley’s historical results favour teams bowling first, with 37 Test wins compared with 29 for sides batting first.
However, the forecast for Day 1 is relatively dry, while showers become more likely later in the Test. A captain who sees a dry and firm pitch may therefore prefer batting first and avoiding a more difficult fourth innings.
If Joe Root (England) wins the toss, bowling first would make sense if conditions are cloudy. England can choose from Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Matthew Fisher and Ollie Robinson in their current squad. England are also considering an all-pace frontline attack, with Root and Dan Lawrence providing part-time spin.
If Babar Azam (Pakistan) wins the toss and is fit, Pakistan also have good reason to bowl first if the conditions favour movement. Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali took three wickets each in the first innings of their warm-up match. Pakistan could also use Sajid Khan or Ali Usman if they expect the surface to become drier and offer turn later.
Injury and Team News
England
England begin a new phase under Joe Root, who has returned as permanent Test captain following Ben Stokes’ retirement. Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim head coach for this series before Stephen Fleming takes charge later.
The biggest confirmed injury absence is Jacob Bethell. He suffered a right-knee injury during England’s ODI series against India and has been ruled out of the entire Pakistan Test series. Jordan Cox will bat at No. 3 in his place.
Dan Lawrence has also been recalled and is set to bat at No. 6. His off-spin could allow England to pick four frontline fast bowlers rather than specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Opening batter Emilio Gay recently suffered a shoulder problem but scans showed no serious damage. He tested the shoulder during the Pakistan warm-up fixture, although he had a difficult match with the bat and was dismissed for a duck in both innings.
Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue all remain in England’s confirmed 16-man squad. Atkinson and Tongue were among the players arriving late to Test preparation after involvement in The Hundred final, but no injury withdrawal has been announced.
Key players: Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue. Root and Brook are among ESPNcricinfo’s highlighted in-form England batters, while Tongue and Archer feature among the bowlers to watch.
Predicted England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook/Shoaib Bashir.
The top six is relatively settled because the ECB has confirmed Cox at No. 3 and Lawrence at No. 6. The main decision surrounds the bowling balance, with England considering whether to use four seamers or include specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Pakistan
Pakistan arrive with momentum after winning the second Test against West Indies by eight wickets and then beating the Professional County Club Select XI by seven wickets at Beckenham. Saud Shakeel made an unbeaten century in the chase, Imam-ul-Haq scored 80 and Abdullah Shafique had earlier made 61.
The major concern remains Babar Azam’s right hand. He was struck while batting on five in the warm-up fixture and took no further part in the match. He returned to practice at Headingley on Monday, but Pakistan have said the final call will depend on medical advice.
Shan Masood is also returning from injury. He broke his left index finger during the first Test against West Indies and missed the second. He has since resumed batting practice and is expected to be available, although his fitness should still be checked at the toss.
Abdullah Shafique has forced his way back into the Test plans after making 160 not out in Pakistan’s victory at Port of Spain. He followed that with 61 in the first innings of the warm-up match and could take the No. 3 role depending on Pakistan’s final combination.
Pakistan’s bowling selection is another important call. Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali performed strongly with the new ball at Beckenham, while left-arm spinner Ali Usman took 5/42 in the second innings. Pakistan are also considering the role spin could play on a dry Headingley surface.
Key players: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Abbas and Sajid Khan. Babar should only remain in the final Dream11 team if he is confirmed fit.
Predicted Pakistan XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Sajid Khan.
If Babar Azam is ruled out, Awais Zafar is one of the leading replacement options for the middle order. Pakistan could also bring Ali Usman into the XI if they decide that two specialist spinners are needed.
Fantasy update: Joe Root is the safer captain from the supplied combination because his place and fitness are confirmed. Babar Azam is the one player who must be rechecked before locking the Dream11 XI, while Shan Masood is another player worth monitoring after his recent finger injury.
