Five touring nations, two ICC events and a genuinely packed calendar — England’s 2026 international summer is one of the busiest in recent memory for both the men’s and women’s sides.
## The Men’s Summer
England’s Test summer opens at Lord’s on June 4 with the first of three Tests against New Zealand. July brings white-ball cricket against India — five T20Is and three ODIs — before a three-Test series against Pakistan runs from August 19 to September 13, staged at Headingley, Lord’s and Edgbaston. The summer wraps with T20Is and ODIs against Sri Lanka in September.
## A Tight Turnaround After The Hundred
England’s Test squad has almost no recovery time between franchise and international cricket: the Pakistan Test series begins at Headingley just two and a half days after [The Hundred final](/the-hundred-tournament-guide) at Lord’s on August 16 — a scheduling squeeze that echoed a similarly tight turnaround in 2025.
## Hosting the Women’s T20 World Cup
England Women host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 from June 12 to July 15, bringing a global spotlight to the home summer. Around that tournament, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side face New Zealand, India and Ireland, including a landmark four-day women’s Test against India at Lord’s — the first women’s Test the ground has ever hosted, a fixture recommended by the 2023 Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket.
## Where Lord’s Fits In
Lord’s hosts three England Tests in 2026: the series openers against both New Zealand and Pakistan, plus that historic first women’s Test. It is a notably heavy workload for the ground even by its own storied standards.
## Looking Beyond 2026
England have already confirmed a full slate of 2027 opponents across formats, including Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh. For England’s Test side specifically, results against New Zealand and Pakistan this year will shape their position in the [ICC Test Championship Points Table](/icc-test-championship-points-table), where they currently sit seventh after a mixed start to the 2025-27 cycle.
## Ticket Details
The 2026 ballot opened on September 2, 2025, with priority access available through the We Are England Cricket Supporters membership scheme for fans wanting the best shot at tickets for the marquee India and Pakistan fixtures.
For the Pakistan series specifically, our dedicated guide to [Pakistan Cricket Schedule](/pakistan-cricket-schedule) covers how this tour fits into Pakistan’s own difficult 2026 calendar.