ECB Announce Busy 2021 Home Schedule: Team India to Tour England For Five-Match Test Series in August-September

London: Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India will all tour England for men’s fixtures, while South Africa and New Zealand will visit for women’s ODI and T20I series.

The ICC World Test Championship final is currently set to take place in June 2021, after which England’s home summer will start rolling with a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Matches are scheduled to be played at Durham, The Oval and Bristol, beginning on Tuesday, 29 June, 2021.

Hot on the heels of that series is another three-match ODI series, against Pakistan, followed by a three-match T20I series against the same opponents.

Five Tests against India, starting on Wednesday, 4 August, 2021 at Trent Bridge round up the men’s schedule, with the fifth Test starting on Friday, 10 September, 2021 at Old Trafford.

Sri Lanka have lost their previous two bilateral ODI series in England in 2016 and 2018, though they beat the hosts during the group stage of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, thanks largely to contributions from Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga.

Pakistan’s visit will provide a rematch from the 2020 English summer when the three-match T20I series was drawn 1-1. England’s record at home in bilateral ODI series against Pakistan is impressive having lost just once, in the first such series in 1974, with one drawn series in 2006 the only other blemish. However, when the sides met during the 2019 Cricket World Cup it was Pakistan who emerged victorious in a high-scoring affair.

The finale will be provided by Joe Root’s Test side when they take on Virat Kohli’s India team in five Tests which will be played at Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Headingley, The Oval and Old Trafford. India’s last visit in Tests saw the hosts emerge 4-1 winners, despite an impressive display with the bat by Kohli, who ended the series top of the charts with 593 runs, 244 more than second-placed Jos Buttler.

The schedule for the women’s fixtures has not yet been published, though South Africa are expected to play before New Zealand, with both sides competing in ODI and T20I formats against Heather Knight’s side.

Australia will also visit in some capacity, with the England Visually Impaired side set to compete against their Australian counterparts for the Ashes in a limited-overs series.

A ticket-balloting process has begun for several of the men’s fixtures, with the ECB hopeful that they will be able to welcome back fans to the grounds.

Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said: “It’s an exciting prospect for England fans, and while Covid means there’s still a great deal of uncertainty, we really hope to be able to welcome fans back into the grounds safely next year to bring that unique atmosphere to stadia across the country.”

England Men’s fixtures:

Tuesday, 29 June, 2021: 1st ODI v Sri Lanka, Durham
Thursday, 1 July, 2021: 2nd ODI v Sri Lanka, The Oval
Sunday, 4 July, 2021: 3rd ODI v Sri Lanka, Bristol

Thursday, 8 July, 2021: 1st ODI v Pakistan, Cardiff
Saturday, 10 July, 2021: 2nd ODI v Pakistan, Lord’s
Tuesday, 13 July, 2021: 3rd ODI v Pakistan, Edgbaston

Friday, 16 July, 2021: 1st T20I v Pakistan, Trent Bridge
Sunday, 18 July, 2021: 2nd T20I v Pakistan, Headingley
Tuesday, 20 July, 2021: 3rd T20I v Pakistan, Old Trafford

Wednesday, 4 August, 2021: 1st Test v India, Trent Bridge
Thursday, 12 August, 2021: 2nd Test v India, Lord’s
Wednesday, 25 August, 2021: 3rd Test v India, Headingley
Thursday, 2 September, 2021: 4th Test v India, The Oval
Friday, 10 September, 2021: 5th Test v India, Old Trafford