Tag: England

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Wednesday revealed the schedule of their tour to Sri Lanka in 2026, which will serve as preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later that year.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

The England men’s cricket team will play three ODIs on January 22, 24 and 27, followed by three T20Is on January 30, February 1 and February 3.

The venues for the matches will be revealed in due course.

The series will give England vital exposure to subcontinental conditions ahead of the showpiece event.

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England, having previously won the T20 World Cup in 2010 and 2022, will be eyeing their third title in the 2026 edition in India and Sri Lanka.

It’s worth noting that the tour of Sri Lanka will mark England’s first white-ball tour of the island in over seven years.

Their previous visit came in 2018, when they won the ODI series 3-1 and the solitary T20I.

The sides last clashed in the shortest format during the T20 World Cup 2022, where England beat Sri Lanka in the group stage before going on to lift the trophy.

Prior to the Sri Lanka tour, England are scheduled to face South Africa (September 2–14), Ireland (September 17–21) and New Zealand (October 18–November 1) in a string of white-ball series, before a five-Test Ashes battle in Australia from November 21 to January 8.

England Men’s Tour of Sri Lanka

• 1st ODI: January 22, 2026
• 2nd ODI: January 24, 2026
• 3rd ODI: January 27, 2026
• 1st T20I: January 30, 2026
• 2nd T20I: February 1, 2026
• 3rd T20I: February 3, 2026

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Jacob Bethell is set to become the youngest England men’s captain as the Three Lions announces squads for the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa and Ireland, set to commence in September 2025.

England will contest three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against South Africa. The ODI series begins on Tuesday, 2 September at Headingley.

The three-match T20I series against Ireland will be held at Malahide in Dublin, with the opening game scheduled for Wednesday, September 17.

Jacob Bethell is set to become the youngest England captain after being named as deputy for Harry Brook in the Ireland series.

The 21-year-old will surpass the record held by Monty Bowdow, who was 23 and 144 days when he led England.

Among the notable inclusions is off-pacer Sonny Baker, who has won his maiden call-up to the national side for the ODI series against South Africa.

Meanwhile, Rehan Ahmed is set to return to the ODI fold after having a prolific summer with the bat for his county team.

Following the squad announcement, England men’s selector, Luke Wright, shared his views on Jacob Bethell’s appointment.

“Jacob Bethell has impressed with his leadership qualities ever since he has been with the England squads, and the series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage,” he said.

Wright further commented on Baker’s inclusion and his impressive tour with England Lions.

“Sonny is a player we have identified for a while and he was impressive during the England Lions tours last winter. He has carried that form into this season in white-ball cricket with Hampshire and Manchester Originals and deservedly gets his opportunity,” he remarked.

England ODI squad to face South Africa

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith

England T20I squad to face South Africa

Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Luke Wood

England T20I squad for Ireland Series

Jacob Bethell (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood

READ: Steve Smith sends warning to England ahead of Ashes

Australia star batter Steve Smith has warned England of a challenging  Ashes series, which is set to begin in November 2025.

The five-Test Ashes series will begin in Perth in late-November, before a day-night match in Brisbane.

The third Ashes 2025 Test will be played in Adelaide, with the traditional Melbourne and Sydney Tests scheduled for December and January.

In an interview with a British media outlet, Steve Smith commented on the much-anticipated series after England’s home series against India.

“I watched a lot of the series against India and it was one of the best Test series I’ve seen in a long time. The cricket that was played by both teams was outstanding,” he said.

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“England have a good side at the moment. They are obviously playing a really aggressive brand of cricket,” he added.

The 36-year-old stated that Australian  wickets are challenging for batters.

“It’s going to be a big challenge. The wickets in the last three-four years have been really tricky,” Steve Smith said.

The veteran batter expressed confidence in his team’s bowling lineup, saying that experienced bowlers would make things difficult for England in the Ashes 2025

“I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a great series,” Smith said.

Steve Smith also discussed the recent form of England’s Joe Root and lauded him ahead of the Ashes 2025.

“I think not just in that series (against India) but probably the last two years, he’s been incredible. His ability to make big scores – to go from 50 to 100 – which was one thing he got caught in that spot for a while,” Smith said.

“He [Joe Root] hasn’t scored a hundred in Australia. I think that’s been talked about quite a lot. I’m sure that’s something he wants to tick off his bucket list as well,” he concluded.

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England’s star batter Joe Root has responded to Former Australia opener David Warner ahead of the much-anticipated Ashes 2025-26, which is set to commence in November.

A few weeks ago, David Warner, currently playing in ‘The Hundred’ in England, highlighted flaws in Joe Root’s batting.

“The big anchor there is Rooty, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia. “Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg,” he said.

Joe Root has responded while speaking on a British News outlet, stating that he is unfazed by the remarks.

“Just that. I have no control over how people perceive the game or discuss it in an interview. Nothing new, is it? You know there are going to be storylines and people wanting to hype up a big series,” he said.

Does not really change anything. It is sort of irrelevant to me. What can I do about it? Just make sure it is not a talking point in six months or 100 days’ time,” he added.

He further stated about his calm demeanor and helping his team get a good start.

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“When you get out there, you have to got to try and impact the game and help your team get off to a good star,” Joe Root explained.

Business as usual as far as I am concerned. I guess it is all part of the fun. We will see what happens out there [with Warner at Lord’s during The Hundred, where they are playing for Trent Rockets and London Spirit respectively]. It is not really in my nature to get too verbal,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that Joe Root, now the second-highest scorer in Test cricket, has yet to score a Test century in Australia.

Overall, England batting maestro Root has scored only 892 runs in Australia at a modest average of 35.68, which falls short of his standards.

Notably, since the start of 2022, he has notched up 15 centuries at a stellar average of 64.64.

The Ashes 2025-26 is set to begin in Perth on November 21, followed by a day-night match in Brisbane, the third Test in Adelaide, and the traditional Melbourne and Sydney Tests in December and January.

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England paceman Chris Woakes is considering rehabilitation rather than surgery on his dislocated shoulder in a last-ditch bid to make himself available for the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia.

Woakes bravely came out to bat at number 11 with his arm in a sling on Monday in a desperate attempt to help England secure victory in the fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval after dislocating his left shoulder while diving in the field on the first day of the match.

But Woakes’ courageous effort was not enough as India won a thrilling match by six runs, without the Warwickshire stalwart facing a ball, to end the series all square at 2-2.

It seemed then that Woakes’ hopes of being involved in England’s quest to regain the Ashes had evaporated.

The 36-year-old has had a scan on his shoulder and, although he is still awaiting the results, he is holding out hope that an eight-week period of rehabilitation could ensure he makes an astonishing recovery to feature in the Ashes, which start on November 21.

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“I’m waiting to see what the extent of the damage is, but I think the options will be to have surgery or to go down a rehab route and try and get it as strong as possible,” Woakes told the BBC on Friday.

“I suppose, naturally, with that, there will be a chance of a recurrence, but I suppose that could be a risk that you’re just willing to take, sort of thing.

“What I’ve heard from physios and specialists is that the rehab of a surgery option would be closer to four months, or three to four months. That’s obviously touching on the Ashes and Australia, so it makes it tricky.

“From a rehab point of view, you can probably get it strong again within eight weeks. So that could be an option, but again, obviously, still waiting to get the full report on it.”

Chris Woakes, a veteran of 62 Tests, is the most experienced member of England’s pace attack following the retirement of Stuart Broad two years ago and the team management’s decision to move on from record wicket-taker James Anderson in 2024.

But even before his injury at the Oval, doubts had been expressed over whether England would select Woakes for the Ashes, given his Test bowling average overseas is an expensive 48.93 compared to 23.87 on home soil.

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Former Australia pacer Glenn McGrath has predicted that England will be whitewashed 5-0 in the 2025-26 Ashes.

The Three Lions have not won an Ashes series since 2015 and, notably, not a single Test in Australia since the 2010-11 series.

The most recent series between two arch-rivals, played in 2023, resulted in a 2-2 draw, with Australia retaining the urn.

Now, the six-time Ashes winner and legendary fast bowler McGrath is known for his bold predictions, and in the past, he has made similar statements.

“It’s very rare for me to make a prediction, isn’t it? And I can’t make a different one-5-0,” McGrath stated in an interview with a British news outlet.

“I’m very confident with our team. When you’ve got Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon firing in their home conditions, it’s going to be pretty tough. Plus, that track record England have had, it’d be interesting to see if they can win a Test,” McGrath added.

Glenn McGrath deemed Ashes 2025-26 crucial for England’s ace batter Joe Root, who is yet to make his mark down under.

Joe Root has amassed 892 Test runs in Australia, including nine fifties, but is yet to score a century.

The 55-year-old also lauded Harry Brook’s batting and termed his wicket crucial for the Australian pacers.

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“This series will be a big one for Root. He’s never really done that well in Australia, he’s not even got a 100 over there, so he’ll be keen to get out there. He’s in fine form,” he said.

“Brook’s the one that I’ve enjoyed watching,” added McGrath. “He just goes out there, plays his game, and takes it on. The Australians will need to get on him pretty early.

He further mentioned England’s top order and the key matchups between both teams.

“Ben Duckett is such an aggressive opener. Zak Crawley would be keen to score a few more runs than he has previously.

“It’s the top order or top and middle order of England against the Australian fast bowlers and Lyon. That’s going to be a big match-up,” Glenn McGrath concluded.

For the unversed, the opening match of Ashes 2025-26 will commence on 21 November in Perth.

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The England Cricket Board (ECB) has shared its views on the proposed two-tier Test structure amid fear of losing key rivalries against India and Australia.

Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) formed a team to propose recommendations for saving the longest form of the game amid a packed cricket schedule.

The debate over the two-tier Test system has persisted for over 15 years, with the ICC indicating its support for the concept as early as 2009. However, full members remain divided on the issue for various reasons.

The revamped Two-tier Test system will involve an expansion from the present nine-team format to two divisions of six.

Last week, ECB Chairman Richard Thompson shared his views in an interview with a British news outlet.

“There’s a lot of options that we’ve got to look at – tiers would be one of them,” he said.

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“We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India? That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here,” he added.

Moreover, Thompson lauded South Africa for winning the World Test Championship title (WTC) and backed the notion for improving the WTC structure.

On the other hand, Cricket Australia’s (CA) CEO, Todd Greenberg, has echoed similar sentiments; however, he remains open to changes for the survival of Test cricket.

“When I say we, those three countries that [are] putting resources and energy into Test cricket, what role do we have to help others make sure that they step up because it’s in our interest to see a strong West Indies, a strong Pakistan, New Zealand, [and] South Africa,” he explained.

“We want those countries being strong in this format of the game, but clearly they’re going to need help. They can’t do it alone. It’s incumbent on all of cricket to help,” Greenberg said.

He emphasized changes, stressing the more opportunities for other countries to be stronger, meanwhile stating that if the goal is not achieved, he will no longer support the model.

“My open mind is in reference to, if it helps grow the opportunities for those other countries to be stronger, and have better resources in Test match cricket, if it does that, then I’m open for it,” he said.

“But if it doesn’t achieve that, and it actually affects the opposite, then I wouldn’t be supportive,” he concluded.

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The Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis has opened up after his heated exchange with India coach Gautam before the fifth Test against England.

Things remained heated throughout the Anderson-Tendulkar series between India and England. However, on the eve of the fifth Test, it reached fever pitch with a verbal altercation between Gambhir and Fortis.

You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do.

You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman; you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman,” Gautam Gambhir replied to Lee Fortis.

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The exchange arose from the groundsman’s instructions to the Indian players and staff to maintain their distance from the squad housing the main pitch.

After the spat, India batting coach Sitansu Kotak claimed that Lee Fortis shouted at the India staff, which irked Gautam Gambhir.

“We all have been on the ground enough, we have played so much cricket. Curators are possessive about the ground and the square, but they need to understand that they are speaking to highly skilled and intelligent people,” Kotakl said during a press conference at the time.

Now, Lee Fortis has spoken about the incident, lauding the exciting game of cricket.

“Well, I was never the villain; I was made into one. Hope you guys enjoyed the show, and the atmosphere was like the IPL. It was a great game,” Lee Fortis said in an interview with an Indian media outlet.

The series ended on a thrilling note with India securing a win against England by only six runs, resulting in a stalemate of 2-2.

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England pacer Chris Woakes, on Monday, defied a shoulder injury and came out to bat with his left arm in a sling against India in the fifth Test at the Oval. 

Woakes was ruled out of the Test due to an injury on day two of the match while saving a boundary.

However, the pacer decided to put his body on the line for his team in a bid to chase a record 374 runs at The Oval.

The Three Lions started their Day 5 needing 35 runs with four wickets in hand. Meanwhile, India pacer Mohammed Siraj ripped through England’s lower order.

As a result, England were 357-9 and forced Chris Woakes to come out and bat at No. 11.

 

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As Woakes walked out through the dressing-room, the crowd gave him a standing ovation for his courage and grit.

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Gus Atkinson (17) faced many of the balls that prevented Chris Woakes from facing India bowlers; however, he was seen in pain while running between the wickets.

Atkinson was the last England batter to fall as India sealed a six-run victory in the final Test to level the series 2-2.

Defending 374, India bundled England for 367, with Siraj taking 5-104, to level the five-match series 2-2. This was also India’s narrowest winning margin in a Test match.

Ben Stokes, England captain, lauded the efforts demonstrated by both India and the Three Lions players throughout the series.

“Unbelievable, yes, but it was never going to be a question,” he said.

To go out there, running between the wickets, but we’ve had guys, Rishabh [Pant], broken foot, Bash [Shoaib Bashir] with a broken finger, and Chris going out there with a recently dislocated shoulder. It shows how much energy and effort has been put into this series,” the England captain concluded.

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LONDON: India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has shared his thoughts on Harry Brook’s dropped catch after his match-winning performance in the final Test against England here at The Oval on Monday.

Mohammed Siraj was pivotal in India’s thrilling six-run victory in the fifth Test and was the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 wickets.

A day earlier, Siraj was at the receiving end when he dropped England’s ace batter Harry Brook while he was batting on 19 runs.

The right-handed batter went on to score his 10th Test century, which at that time looked like England had taken the game away from India.

During the post-match presentation, Siraj expressed his emotions on the drop catch and revealed the motivation behind his stellar performance.

“I cannot describe my feelings. After yesterday’s incident, I thought the match was gone. Had we got Harry Brook out before lunch, things would have been different, ” he said after being named as the P

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“There would have been no fifth day. That was a game-changing moment. But we came back strongly after that,” he remarked.

Siraj stated that he had believed in himself and had ambitions of changing the game.

“When I woke up this morning, I told myself I would change the game. I opened Google, downloaded a ‘believe’ image, and put that as my phone wallpaper.”

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