England vs Pakistan First Test: Time, TV, Squads and How to Watch
England host Pakistan at Headingley from 11am BST on Wednesday, with Joe Root back as Test captain. Before the first ball, compare the latest markets with our guide to the best cricket betting sites, while Jordan Cox at No.3 and England’s key absences add extra intrigue.
England vs Pakistan First Test at a glance
| Detail | England vs Pakistan First Test |
|---|---|
| Dates | Wednesday 19–Sunday 23 August 2026 |
| Venue | Headingley, Leeds |
| Start time | 11am BST each day |
| Gates open | 9am |
| TV channel | Sky Sports Cricket |
| Sky coverage | From 10am on day one |
| Streaming | NOW |
| BBC highlights | BBC Two and BBC iPlayer |
| Radio commentary | Test Match Special |
| TMS platforms | BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport |
| England captain | Joe Root |
| Pakistan captain | Babar Azam |
Headingley has confirmed an 11am start, with spectator gates opening at 9am. Sky’s opening-day coverage begins at 10am, an hour before the first ball.
England Pakistan start time: when does play begin each day?
The Headingley Test 2026 begins at 11am BST on Wednesday 19 August and can run for five days, through to Sunday 23 August if required.
The scheduled start is 11am on every day of the Test.
| Day | Date | Scheduled start | Scheduled close |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Wednesday 19 August | 11am | Around 6pm |
| Day 2 | Thursday 20 August | 11am | Around 6pm |
| Day 3 | Friday 21 August | 11am | Around 6pm |
| Day 4 | Saturday 22 August | 11am | Around 6pm |
| Day 5 | Sunday 23 August | 11am | Around 6pm |
The finish can move because of weather, slow over-rates, additional time or the state of the match, so 6pm should be treated as the scheduled close rather than a guaranteed finish.
Headingley session times
Yorkshire have published the following hours of play for the Test.
| Session | Time |
|---|---|
| Morning session | 11am–1pm |
| Lunch | 1pm–1.40pm |
| Afternoon session | 1.40pm–3.40pm |
| Tea | 3.40pm–4pm |
| Evening session | 4pm–6pm |
For anyone attending rather than watching from home, Headingley opens at 9am, giving supporters two hours to enter the ground before play.
England Pakistan TV channel: how to watch the First Test
Sky Sports Cricket has live coverage of every ball of England’s three-Test series against Pakistan. For the Headingley opener, Sky’s coverage starts at 10am on Wednesday, with play beginning at 11am. Viewers without a traditional Sky subscription can access the cricket through a NOW Sports pass.
| Coverage | Where to watch/listen |
|---|---|
| Live TV | Sky Sports Cricket |
| Online live stream | NOW |
| Free-to-air highlights | BBC Two |
| On-demand BBC highlights | BBC iPlayer |
| Radio | BBC Test Match Special |
| Digital radio/online | BBC Sounds, BBC Sport |
| Short digital highlights | ECB website / England Cricket app |
There is another useful option if you miss part of a session. The ECB says its website and England Cricket app will carry an updating highlights video during the Test, followed by 15-minute match highlights shortly after the final ball.
Are England vs Pakistan highlights on the BBC?
BBC Two will show highlights from each day’s play, with the programme also available through BBC iPlayer.
That means viewers without Sky can still follow the key wickets, partnerships and turning points free-to-air each evening.
The ECB has confirmed daily BBC highlights rather than one programme at the end of the Test. Exact transmission times can vary across the five days, so checking the day’s BBC schedule remains advisable.
How to listen to England vs Pakistan on Test Match Special
Test Match Special will provide ball-by-ball commentary throughout the series.
UK listeners can follow TMS through:
- BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
- BBC Sounds
- BBC Sport website
- BBC Sport app
For anyone following the match while working or travelling, TMS is the obvious alternative to keeping a Sky stream running all day.
Joe Root’s second captaincy starts at home
Headingley is not simply the first Test of another home series. It marks the start of England’s post-Ben Stokes era. Root has been appointed permanent Test captain again following Stokes’ retirement from international cricket. The Yorkshireman previously led England between 2017 and 2022 and has captained the country in a record 65 Tests. Starting his second spell at Headingley adds another layer. It is Root’s home ground, and this England side will not simply be a continuation of the Stokes team.
Root has made clear that he does not intend to discard everything England developed during the Stokes-Brendon McCullum period, instead talking about evolving and adjusting the approach.
Joe Root on returning to the captaincy: “I’m hugely different.”
Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim head coach during the Pakistan series. Stephen Fleming has been appointed as England’s new Test coach but will take over subsequently rather than leading the side at Headingley.
Why Jordan Cox is England’s new No.3
One of the clearest selection calls has already been made. Jordan Cox will bat at No.3, replacing Jacob Bethell, who is unavailable for the entire Pakistan series after suffering a right knee injury during the ODI series against India.
Cox made his Test debut against New Zealand earlier this summer. The decision to put him straight into one of the most demanding positions in the order is a significant show of faith. It also means Ollie Pope’s return to the squad does not automatically put the former vice-captain back into the XI.
England have effectively separated the two decisions:
- Cox gets the No.3 opportunity.
- Pope returns as experienced batting and wicketkeeping cover.
- Dan Lawrence comes back at No.6.
- Jamie Smith remains the wicketkeeper option at No.7.
England absences and selection questions
Ben Stokes
The biggest absence is permanent rather than injury-related. Stokes retired from international cricket during England’s series against New Zealand in June, ending both his Test career and his captaincy. Root now inherits a side that has to replace Stokes as a leader, middle-order batter and seam-bowling all-rounder.
There is no direct replacement for that combination.
Jacob Bethell
Bethell will miss the entire Pakistan Test series with the knee injury he sustained against India. Cox has been explicitly named as his replacement at No.3.
Sam Curran
Curran is not in the squad for the first two Tests. National selector Marcus North explained that workload and a number of fitness niggles meant England did not consider him quite ready for this group.
That removes one of the more obvious candidates to replicate part of Stokes’ seam-bowling all-round role.
Emilio Gay
Gay suffered a shoulder problem playing for Durham before the series but scans showed no serious damage and England expected him to be available. His red-ball preparation was less encouraging: he made a pair in Pakistan’s warm-up win over a Professional County Club Select XI.
His fitness and selection remain worth watching when England confirm their final XI.
England squad for the First Test against Pakistan
England have named a 16-player squad for the opening two Tests, at Headingley and Lord’s.
The notable returns are Lawrence, Pope, Brydon Carse and Sam Cook.
Pakistan Test squad
The ICC lists those 17 players in Pakistan’s current squad for the series.
Who is missing for Pakistan?
Abdullah Fazal has been ruled out through injury and was replaced by Abdullah Shafique. Saud Shakeel, whose initial inclusion had been subject to fitness, is in the current squad and underlined his readiness with his warm-up century. Babar’s hand is a situation to monitor rather than a confirmed absence.
England vs Pakistan betting: early Headingley markets
England begin as favourites, but the prices illustrate why there are several ways to approach a five-day Test rather than simply backing the shortest match-result price. Pakistan have just won their warm-up match and possess a seam attack suited to exploiting any early Headingley movement, while England are entering a new captaincy cycle with an altered batting order.
Guide prices checked against the UK market on 17 August 2026. The match-result prices were England 8/15, Pakistan 5/2 and the draw 13/2, while under 34.5 England runs after 10 overs was available at 13/8 in the market checked. Odds and available markets can change before the toss, and the linked operator may display a different live price.
The toss and Headingley overhead conditions can materially change the first-session picture. Compare the live market rather than treating Monday’s price as fixed.
What to watch for at Headingley
Root’s first big call
The final bowling combination will immediately tell us something about England under Root. Four seamers plus Lawrence and Root as part-time spinners would be a very different statement from choosing Bashir as a specialist.
Cox at first drop
No.3 can be one of the hardest positions to bat in England. An early wicket can effectively turn it into an opening role, particularly if Pakistan’s seamers find movement. Cox has been given the opportunity ahead of a returning Pope. That makes his first innings one of England’s most interesting individual tests.
Pakistan’s experienced seam bowling
Mohammad Abbas provides the sort of accuracy that can become uncomfortable in English conditions, while Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali give Babar alternatives. Pakistan showed during the warm-up that their attack can make an impact with the new ball, dismissing the County Select XI for 305 and 195.
Babar’s hand
The official position has been reassuring rather than alarming: rest was precautionary and Babar was scheduled to resume practice before the Test. Nevertheless, his condition is worth checking at the toss before using any player-specific batting market.
