The Ashes 2027 schedule is out – and gives England two big headaches

England’s schedule for the 2027 international summer is out. The statement that greeted it from England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould was grandiose: “We have a summer schedule that offers high quality cricket across all formats and for all our England teams and fans.” Gould is hoping the headline will be the fact that the men’s and women’s Ashes will be played concurrently. Look closer, though, and you realise that this schedule will only magnify the faultlines that have opened up in the men’s set-up during a chaotic 2026 summer. It also guarantees that some of these games are likely to be anything but high quality. England’s summer kicks off with five one-day internationals against Pakistan starting on May 15. Yet it’s the end date of May 26 that elicits a raised eyebrow. That’s because it leaves just one day between that series and the start of England’s one-off Test against Bangladesh at Lord’s – their only red-ball game before the Ashes begin at Trent Bridge on 18 June. The Ashes 2027 schedule, plus Pakistan, Bangladesh and New Zealand fixtures England vs Pakistan Saturday 15 May: 1st ODI – Rose Bowl, Southampton, 1100 Wednesday 19 May: 2nd ODI – Old Trafford, Manchester, 1300 Friday 21 May: 3rd ODI – Headingley, Leeds, 1100 Sunday 23 May: 4th ODI – Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 1100 Wednesday 26 May: 5th ODI – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 1300 England vs Bangladesh Friday 28 May – 1 June: 1st Test – Lord’s, London, 1100 World Test Championship final Wednesday 9 June – 13 June: ICC World Test Championship Final – The Oval, London, 1030 England vs Australia – The Ashes Friday 18 June – 22 June: 1st Ashes Test match – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 1100 Wednesday 30 June – 4 July: 2nd Ashes Test – Lord’s, London, 1100 Thursday 8 July – 12 July: 3rd Ashes Test – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1100 Wednesday 21 July – 25 July: 4th Ashes Test – Rose Bowl, Southampton, 1100 Thursday 29 July – 2 August: 5th Ashes Test – The Oval, London, 1100 England vs New Zealand Tuesday 7 September: 1st IT20 – Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 1830 Thursday 9 September: 2nd IT20 – Old Trafford, Manchester, 1830 Saturday 11 September: 3rd IT20 – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 1430 Tuesday 14 September: 1st ODI – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1230 Thursday 16 September: 2nd ODI – Lord’s, London, 1230 Sunday 19 September: 3rd ODI – County Ground, Bristol, 1030 Wednesday 22 September: 4th ODI – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 1230 Saturday 25 September: 5th ODI – Headingley, Leeds, 1030 Why is this a problem for England? Given how badly England prepared for the last Ashes in Australia last winter – one warm-up against the Lions at a club ground in Perth – there is no room for half measures this time. It means the strongest-possible Test XI needs to be named to face Bangladesh – and with the lack of room in the schedule it means the best all-format players will have to be rested for the back end of that ODI series against Pakistan. This is far from ideal in a World Cup year. After the Pakistan series, England have just five more 50-over matches – at home against New Zealand in September 2027 – before they set off for the World Cup in southern Africa the following month. Given England have gone back to a split coaching model after sacking Brendon McCullum from his role as Test coach – but keeping him on in white-ball cricket – this creates a potential flashpoint between the New Zealander and whoever takes over as the new Test coach. The Ashes are the absolute priority next year. But England also need to try and build some momentum and form ahead of a World Cup that follows hot on the heels of our domestic summer. It appears inevitable that England will have to name a severely weakened squad for their penultimate series before the World Cup against Pakistan. Those all-format players such as Jacob Bethell, Jofra Archer and Harry Brook will surely have to miss at least the final two matches. And with next year’s Indian Premier League expected to finish around 15 May, the likes of Bethell, Archer and England’s other high-profile white-ball players involved in that tournament will probably also have to miss games at the beginning. Who will be England captain for the Ashes? It also raises serious questions about the captaincy. Brook is leader of the white-ball teams at present. He is also touted to take over the Test captaincy left vacant by the shock retirement of Ben Stokes. Yet how can anyone be a captain across all formats with a schedule like this? Even Bethell, touted as a future white-ball captain, wouldn’t be able to fill in for that Pakistan series. So who then? It’s a good question and one the ECB will have to think carefully about before they name Stokes’ successor because Brook can’t do both jobs. Surely? Fans will also notice that the Bangladesh Test is taking place in London. Along with the World Test Championship final – to be played at The Oval from 9-13 June – it means four of the seven men’s Tests in England next summer will be in London. None of the men’s Ashes Tests will take place in the north, with only a women’s Ashes Test at Headingley taking place north of Nottingham. There was an opportunity to hand the Bangladesh Test to Old Trafford. Instead, Manchester gets an Australia vs England Lions Ashes warm-up match in early June. Or does it? Australia are currently comfortably clear at the top of the World Test Championship table and almost certain to make the final. Their Ashes warm-up – part of a deal with the ECB that will see England granted a high-quality fixture against Australia A at a Test venue before the 2029-30 series Down Under – is unlikely to even take place. It doesn’t affect England next summer. But it sums up a schedule that quite frankly is a mess. England Women’s schedule for 2027 summer England vs Bangladesh Wednesday 8 September: 1st IT20 – County Ground, Northampton, 1830 Friday 10 September: 2nd IT20 – County Ground, Taunton, 1830 Sunday 12 September: 3rd IT20 – New Road, Worcester, 1430 Friday 17 September: 1st ODI – County Ground, Hove, 1230 Tuesday 21 September: 2nd ODI – St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, 1230 Friday 24 September: 3rd ODI – County Ground, Chelmsford, 1230 England vs Australia – Women’s Ashes Thursday 24 June – 27 June: 1st Ashes Test – Headingley, Leeds, 1100 Saturday 3 July: 1st IT20 – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 1900 Tuesday 6 July: 2nd IT20 – The Oval, London, 1830 Friday 9 July: 3rd IT20 – Old Trafford, Manchester, 1900 Tuesday 13 July: 1st ODI – Rose Bowl, Southampton, 1300 Friday 16 July: 2nd ODI – Lord’s, London, 1300 Tuesday 20 July: 3rd ODI – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1300