Cricket is not just a sport, but an emotion of many individuals that connects the hearts of different countries. People watch each match with the same joy, whether it is India vs England, Pakistan Vs England, or any other country.
Well, the rivalry between the Pakistan National Cricket Team and the England Cricket Team is one of the most fascinating contests in international cricket. It has witnessed several historic Test series, dramatic one-day encounters, unforgettable World Cup matches, and modern-day T20Is.
In this article, I will explain the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline, highlighting the key moments, turning points, and the legendary performances that shaped this rivalry.
Let’s get started!
Pakistan and England represent two contrasting cricketing cultures. England is the birthplace of the game and is known for structured and technical discipline. On the other hand, Pakistan has built a reputation for flair. Pakistan has had impressive fast bowling talent over the years.
Since the first encounter in the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline in 1954, the matches have been defined by competitive balance, strong home advantage, high-quality fast bowling, and unpredictable outcomes. The rivalry between these two has never been one-sided, which is why Pakistan vs England remains a fixture that fans look forward to in every format.
Pakistan and England faced each other in 1954, when Pakistan toured England for a Test series. Pakistan had just made their debut in international cricket in 1952, and they faced mighty England at their home turf.
Pakistan faced England at Lord’s in the first Test, which ended in a draw. The next match was won by England by a huge margin. Pakistan managed to draw the third game, and they came back strong in the fourth and final match. Their pacers did the trick and managed to bowl out England in the fourth innings to win the game. That win at The Oval meant a lot to Pakistan, as it was their first win against England.
Key Highlights:
This established Pakistan as a serious competitor in cricket and laid the foundation for a long-term rivalry.
In the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline, first, let’s explore the ODI matches between them. It reflects England’s transformation into a white-ball superpower.
In this era, Pakistan held its own against the mighty England with its versatile bowling attack, often stifling English batters. In the 80s, during the Imran Khan era, Pakistan found the belief that they could challenge England at their home turf by playing fearless cricket.
1992 was the pinnacle of the ODI history in the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline. It was the year when Pakistan defeated England in the final to claim the ICC ODI World Cup 1992 for the first time.
After a disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign, England completely changed their approach in ODIs. Since then, they’ve dominated Pakistan in most of the bilateral series. In this era, England often posted a mammoth 350 score in ODIs. However, Pakistan is not a team that surrenders easily. Pakistan crushed a heavily favored England side in the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final. After that, they went on to become champions by beating India.
| Year | Host | Matches | Result |
| 2006 | Pakistan | 5 | Pakistan Won 3-2 |
| 2006 | England | 5 | Draw 2-2 |
| 2010 | England | 5 | England Won 3-2 |
| 2012 | UAE | 4 | England Won 4-0 |
| 2016 | UAE | 4 | England Won 3-1 |
| 2016 | England | 5 | England Won 4-1 |
| 2017 | England | 1 | Pakistan Won |
| 2019 | England | 5 | England Won 4-0 |
| 2019 | England (World Cup) | 1 | Pakistan Won |
| 2021 | England | 3 | England Won 3-0 |
| 2023 | India (World Cup) | 1 | England Won |
In the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline, Test cricket remains the soul of this rivalry. They have played over 90 matches to date. In tests, this rivalry has everything: fire, flair, and drama.
The era was marked by English domination, especially at home. English seamers exploited the conditions better, and Pakistan learned the hard way. Pakistan still showed strong bowling skills, gritty middle-order resistance, and fearless fast bowlers. Pakistan proved to be difficult to beat in the subcontinent.
The rivalry gets a new meaning in the 1980s. Under the charismatic leadership of Imran Khan, Pakistan won its first-ever series win in England in 1987. Under Imran, they challenged England mentally and physically. This decade of the rivalry flipped the script and changed the rivalry’s balance. We also saw the rise of Abdul Kadir in this decade, who famously tormented England with many great performances.
It was a period of high drama, featuring the reverse-swing revolution led by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. England struggled to decode this art, and that led to many heated series. This era of Tests gave us explosive fast bowling, unpredictable batting lineups, and matches that swung session by session.
In recent times, the 2024 series in Pakistan showcased a fascinating tactical battle. England’s ultra-aggressive Bazball style won them early praise, but Pakistan responded by preparing extreme spin tracks. And they won the series by 2-1 with the help of the spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.
| Year | Host | Matches | Result |
| 2006 | Pakistan | 3 | Pakistan Won 2-0 |
| 2006 | England | 4 | England Won 3-0 |
| 2010 | England | 4 | England Won 3-1 |
| 2012 | UAE | 3 | Pakistan Won 3-0 |
| 2016 | UAE | 3 | Pakistan Won 2-0 |
| 2016 | England | 4 | Drawn 2-2 |
| 2018 | England | 2 | Drawn 1-1 |
| 2020 | England | 3 | England Won 1-0 |
| 2023 | Pakistan | 3 | England Won 3-0 |
| 2025 | Pakistan | 3 | Pakistan Won 2-1 |
The Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline of T20I matches belongs to England. Historically, they have always had the upper hand in this format. They always utilize their deep batting depth.
The two teams played their first match against each other in 2006 in Bristol. Pakistan won that match by five wickets. But, after that, England started leading in the contest in the subsequent years.
Since the first match, England has started dominating Pakistan in the shortest format of the game. The next evolution of the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline in T20Is came in 2022, when they played a marathon series. The 7-match series served as a prelude to the 2022 T20I World Cup, where England edged out Pakistan to win the title in a low-scoring thriller.
| Year | Host | Matches | Result |
| 2016 | England | 1 | Pakistan Won |
| 2019 | England | 1 | England Won |
| 2020 | England | 3 | Drawn 1-1 |
| 2021 | England | 3 | England Won 2-1 |
| 2022 | Pakistan | 7 | England Won 4-3 |
| 2023 | Australia (World Cup) | 1 | England Won |
| 2024 | England | 4 | England Won 2-0 |
Here is the head-to-head table between these two cricket-loving nations. As of early 2026, the overall statistics show a slight edge to England in all formats. It holds true specifically in the limited-overs format.
| Format | Matches Played | England Wins | Pakistan Wins | Draws/NR |
| Test | 92 | 30 | 23 | 39 |
| ODI | 92 | 57 | 32 | 3 |
| T20I | 31 | 21 | 9 | 1 |
Pakistan and England have met each other multiple times in ICC (International Cricket Council) tournaments. Pakistan often finds an extra gear against England in ICC tournaments. Have a look.
In the 1992 World Cup final, Pakistan beat England by 22 runs to claim the title of World Champions. On 25 March 1992, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first and made 249 runs for 6 wickets. In the chase, Wasim Akram did the job of restricting England to just 227 runs.
Pakistan also defeated England in the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final by 8 wickets. That Pakistan team was on cruise control and demolished everything in their way.
In the 2022 T20 World Cup final, England returned the favor by beating Pakistan by 5 wickets at the MCG. This is one of the matches that is cited as one of the most high-stakes encounters between these two.
Pakistan
England
Have a look at some of the notable statistics in the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline.
| Category | Pakistan | England |
| Highest ODI Total | 361/7 (2019) | 444/3 (2016) |
| Highest Test Total | 708 (1987) | 823/7 (declared) (2024) |
| Highest T20I Total | 232/6 (2021) | 221/3 (2022) |
| Leading ODI Run-Scorer | Babar Azam | Eoin Morgan |
| Leading Wicket-Taker (ODIs) | Wasim Akram | Adil Rashid |
The rivalry between Pakistan and England is far more than just a series of matches. It is a battle for the soul of the game. Whether it’s test matches or T20I games, these teams bring out the best performances when they play each other.
As we move into the future, the rivalry between the Pakistan national cricket team vs England cricket team timeline will remain vibrant and unpredictable.
Related Read: India National Cricket Team vs Pakistan National Cricket Team Timeline
Ans: Pakistan and England first played a Test series in 1954.
Ans: England holds a slight edge overall, but the rivalry is closely balanced across formats.
Ans: Test cricket remains the most evenly contested format.
Sources:
England vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Records by ESPNCricinfo
