England's Squad for First Two Tests Against Pakistan Announced: Full List Inside

England has announced their squad for the first two Test matches against Pakistan. The England and Wales Cricket Board which is also known as the ECB has named a 16 member squad on 6th August 2026. 

This selection shows a mix of experienced players and rising young talent. There are big names that are returning to the team as well as one major player not playing due to injury along with a new captain. 

Here is the full squad, the captain and key details of England’s squad. 

England Squad for First Two Tests Against Pakistan

The Test series will start with the first match at Headingley in Leeds from August 19 to 23. The second Test match will then move to the Lord's in London from August 27 to 31. Similarly the third and final Test match will take place at Edgbaston in Birmingham starting September 9. Here is a squad overview: 

Who is the Captain of the England Team?

Joe Root will feature as the captain of England for this series. He has led England as Test captain earlier in his career, between 2017 and 2022 and led the team in a total of 64 Tests. He won 27 matches as captain. Root stepped down from the role in 2022 after a tough period that included a heavy Ashes defeat in Australia.

Joe has taken back this position after Ben Stokes retired from international cricket. Stokes announced his retirement during England's Test series against New Zealand this summer. 

Key Players to Watch

Here are some of the key players to witness in this Test series: 

New Faces in the Squad

Jordan Cox will be the biggest name to watch in this series. He made his Test debut earlier this summer against New Zealand at the Kia Oval. Now he has been given the important number three batting position in place of the injured Jacob Bethell. 

Emilio Gay is another young player who has already made his Test debut this summer against New Zealand at Lord's. He is a left handed batter from Durham.

Dan Lawrence has earned a recall after being away from the Test side for two years. He returns after a brilliant season for Surrey in the County Championship, where he was the second highest run scorer in Division One this year. Sam Cook, Brydon Carse, and Ollie Pope have also returned to the squad after being out of the Test setup for some time.