England national cricket team vs Pakistan national cricket team head-to-head record

Head-to-head records between the England and Pakistan national cricket teams by Test, ODI, and T20I format, with recent trends in 2024–2025

England national cricket team vs Pakistan national cricket team head-to-head record

Overview

The rivalry between the England and Pakistan national cricket teams has lasted for more than 70 years since their first Test match in 1954 and is a representative intercontinental rivalry in international cricket. Overall head-to-head records are counted as England being slightly ahead across all formats—Test, ODI, and T20I—but Pakistan has been strong at neutral venues (UAE) and at home, and has overturned series several times. Recently, Pakistan won the Test series held at home in 2024 2-1, changing the trend of home win rates.

Key details

Overview of head-to-head records by format

International cricket is played in three formats—Test (five days), ODI (50 overs), and T20I (20 overs)—and head-to-head records are also managed separately by format. Figures may vary slightly depending on the statistical body and timing, but the following structure is generally maintained.

Test: Around 90 matches. England about 30 wins, Pakistan about 20-plus wins, and about 30 draws. A high draw rate is characteristic.
ODI: About 90–100 matches. England is somewhat ahead, and in World Cup main tournaments both teams have recorded wins over each other.
T20I: Around 30 matches, with England holding a slight edge. Due to the short-format nature, the advantage has frequently reversed over the past 10 years.

History of Test matches

In the first Test held in Lahore in 1954, Pakistan won and caused a shock; afterward, in the 1960s–70s, England held the upper hand. In the 1980s–90s, Pakistan, led by world-class fast bowlers such as Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis, showed strength at home. In the 2010s, Pakistan, using the UAE as its home venue, overwhelmed England 3-0 in both the 2012 and 2015 series with spin-centered tactics, and this is evaluated as a period when Pakistan rebounded greatly in the head-to-head record. On the other hand, in December 2022, England won 3-0 on its first tour of Pakistan in 17 years with "baseball-style aggressive cricket," creating a tactical turning point.

ODI and World Cup matchups

The teams have faced each other regularly in ODIs since the 1970s, and Pakistan's victory over England in the 1992 World Cup final remains a symbol of the rivalry. In the 2019 home World Cup, England won the group-stage match and continued its title run, and in the 2023 India World Cup, England won comprehensively against Pakistan in Kolkata.

T20I and short-format patterns

In the T20 format, Pakistan defeated England consecutively in the 2009 and 2010 World Cups, and in the 2022 T20 World Cup final held in Melbourne, England won, restoring the balance in the head-to-head record. Both teams have had large fluctuations in white-ball strength, so series-level records tend to swing greatly from year to year.

Latest trends

The Test series held in Pakistan in October 2024 was a turning point that changed the momentum of the head-to-head record. Pakistan won the first Multan Test; England struck back with a big win in the second Test; but Pakistan won the third Rawalpindi Test with a spin attack and finished the series 2-1. This was recorded as a valuable home series win for Pakistan against England. In the T20I series held in England in May of the same year, England capitalized on home advantage, while Pakistan had a stage to test young bowlers. In schedules from 2025 onward, the two teams are likely to meet again in short tournaments such as the ICC World Cup cycle and the Champions Trophy, and in particular the pace of generational change in white-ball strength is cited as a variable that will decide the direction of the head-to-head record. Tactical evolution, including data analysis, spin usage, and aggressive field settings, is also cited as a major background for changes in the record.