England National Cricket Team

The land where cricket was born, one of the oldest and most storied teams in the sport, England have a rich history of cricket which still holds a huge place in the consciousness of the people. They are governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), having previously been governed by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and are one of the oldest teams. They played the first ever Test match back in 1877 against Australia. 

England are a Full Member nation, which means they play T20Is, Tests and ODIs. They not only played the first-ever Test, but also the first ODI back in 1971. England are involved in the most decorated trophy that exists in cricket history: the Ashes, which is a five-match Test series played against Australia. It is a trophy steeped in history, which dates back to 1882.

England’s cricket team plays at many iconic venues, including Lord’s Cricket Ground, also known as the “Home of Cricket”,  The Oval (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), Headingley (Leeds) and Edgbaston (Birmingham). 

England have played in the final of the ODI Cricket World Cup four times, winning their first in 2019 in a pulsating final against New Zealand. They have also finished as runners-up in two ICC Champions Trophies in 2004 and 2013. In the T20I circuit, England have won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2010 and 2022, and were runners-up in 2016.

From Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Len Hutton and Sir Ian Botham to Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and James Anderson, England have produced some of the finest cricketers to play the sport. As of June 2025, England are ranked second in Tests, eighth in ODIs and third in T20Is on the ICC rankings chart.

England National Cricket Team History

The first instance of cricket being played in England dates back to as early as the 16th century but it was not until the MCC was formally introduced in 1787 that the laws of the sport were written down in a proper fashion. Before that, there were plenty of friendly matches and intra-squad games and such matches were played several times for the best part of a century.

On 15 March 1877, England played what later came to be recognised as the first ever Test match against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

The Australian XI won this Test match by 45 runs. The first Test match on English soil was played in 1880, with England coming out trumps. England lost their first home series in 1882, with The Sporting Times printing an obituary on English cricket, and thus the famous Ashes series was born.

England had mixed results at the start of the 20th century as they lost four of the eight Ashes series between 1900 and 1914. The year 1912 had England take part in a unique experiment, where a  nine-Test triangular tournament involving England, South Africa and Australia was set up.

West Indies and New Zealand were added as new Test nations not long after but England and Australia were still the dominant forces in the world of cricket. The early and middle 1960s were poor periods for English cricket and that also saw the increase in popularity of football in the country. However, from 1968 to 1971 England did play 27 consecutive Test matches without defeat

In the mid-1970s, ODI cricket also became a popular format. The mid-1970s were more turbulent for English cricket, though they did manage to reach the final of the 1979 ODI World Cup, where they lost to West Indies. 

The England team, with Mike Brearley's stepping down in the year 1980, was never truly settled throughout the 1980s, and that will probably be remembered as a low point for England. While there were some great players who were part of the era like Ian Botham, Graham Gooch and David Gower, who became icons, England failed to beat good oppositions throughout the decade and did not score a home Test victory (except against Sri Lanka) between September 1985 and July 1990.

The 1990s was a slight improvement for England. They made it to the final of the 1992 ODI World Cup but the trophy remained elusive. England did well at home against weaker opponents such as India, New Zealand and West Indies but struggled badly against improving sides like Pakistan and South Africa.

The turn of the 21st century saw England re-emerge as a force in Test cricket, regaining the Ashes in 2005 after 18 years. Central contracts were installed and the England and Wales Cricket Board took over as the governing body from the MCC. England defeated Australia 2–1 in a thrilling series in 2005 to regain the Ashes for the first time in 16 years.

England won their first ever ICC event, the 2010 World Twenty20, with a seven-wicket win over Australia in Barbados. The following winter in the 2010–11 Ashes, they beat Australia 3–1 to retain the urn and record their first series win in Australia for 24 years.

They whitewashed India in the 2011 and 2014 series at home and also defeated India in India in 2012, their first in the country since 1984–85. There was, however, turmoil soon after with the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Graeme Swann involved in the backroom politics. 

A glorious period for English cricket came in 2019, when they entered the ODI World Cup as favourites at home. However, shock defeats at the hands of Pakistan and Sri Lanka during the group stage left them on the brink of elimination. They pulled themselves up and won their final two games to secure semi-final qualification. In the semis, they defeated arch-rivals Australia in Edgbaston. 

In the final, they met New Zealand. In what is described as the greatest ODI in history, England came out as the winners via a Super Over, sparking wild scenes across the country. 

England won the 2022 T20 World Cup and drew the 2023 Ashes. 

Ben Stokes took over as captain in 2022, with coach Brendon McCullum, ushering in a philosophy of attacking, positive cricket that came to be called "Bazball". England will next play India at home in a five-match Test series which starts on June 20. 

England in Major Tournaments

• England reached the final of the 1975, 1979, 1987 and 1992 Cricket World Cups but fell short each time.
• In 2010, they won their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies.
• England won their first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (ODI) title in 2019 at Lord’s, defeating New Zealand in an epic final decided by boundary count after a tied Super Over.
• England added a second T20 World Cup title in 2022, becoming the first men’s team to hold both the ODI and T20 World Cups simultaneously.

England National Team Current Captains and Coaches

The England cricket team is currently led by experienced captains and supported by a skilled coaching staff. Below is a table detailing the current captains and coaches as of June 2025.

England National Cricket Team Captains List: From First to Present

The England cricket team has been led by numerous captains since its first Test. Below is a list of notable captains across formats, focusing on those who led in Tests, with significant contributions in limited-overs formats:

England Test Captains (Last 75 years)

England captains (ODI cricket)

England T20I captains

England National Cricket Team Records and Honours
England Test cricket

Most Runs: Joe Root with 12972 runs in 152 Tests and an average of 50.87, including a top score of 262, is the highest run-scorer for England in the format. He overtook Alastair Cook's record in October 2024. 

Most Wickets: James Anderson, with 704 Test wickets, is comfortably the leader when it comes to most wickets in Test cricket for an Englishman. It's also the third-highest of all time. Stuart Broad, with 604 wickets is second on the list and the only other England bowler with 600-plus wickets in Test cricket. 

Highest Total: 903/7 declared vs Australia in August 1938

England ODI cricket

Most Runs: ODI World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan is the leading run-scorer for England in ODIs with 7701 runs. Joe Root is a close second with 6506 in 176 matches.

Most Wickets: James Anderson tops the list with 269 ODI wickets, while Daren Gough with 234 wickets is in second place

Highest Total: England’s highest-ever team total in ODI cricket is 498/4, which is the highest in ODI cricket history. 

England T20I cricket

Most Runs: England’s all-time leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals (T20Is) is Jos Buttler with 3700 runs in 137 matches. He is fourth in the all-time list behind Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli.

Most Wickets: Adil Rashid with 107 wickets is England’s all-time highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket, followed closely by Chris Jordan on 104.

Highest Total: 241/3 vs New Zealand (2019)

Iconic England players

Sir Alastair Cook: Sir Alastair Cook is one of England's finest opening batters and one of the best in the world. Born on 25 December 1984, he became the rock of England’s Test batting for over a decade. His style was understated yet effective. While not the most flamboyant stroke-player, he was a master of occupying the crease, frustrating bowlers with his patience and precision. Cook’s greatest individual performance came in 2011 at Edgbaston, where he compiled a career-best 294 against India. Cook was only the second England cricketer to be knighted.

Joe Root: Joe Root has emerged as one of the finest batters that England cricket has ever seen. With his classical strokeplay, nimble footwork, and relentless hunger for runs, Root has excelled against the best attacks in the world. As captain (2017–2022), Root led England in 64 Tests, the most by any England skipper. In 2024, Root surpassed Sir Alastair Cook to become England's all-time highest run-scorer in the Test format. 

Sir Ian Botham: Sir Ian Botham is a legendary English all‑rounder born on 24 November 1955 and achieved worldwide fame for his exuberant batting, impactful swing bowling, and fearless close-in fielding. He made his Test debut for England in 1977 vs Australia, and went on to play 102 Tests and 116 ODIs. He was the first to score a century and take 10 wickets in the same Test (Bombay, 1980), and was a key figure in the famous “Botham’s Ashes” of 1981. Botham was the first England cricketer to receive a knighthood.

Ben Stokes: One of England’s most impactful all‑ rounders and currently serving as captain of the Test team, Ben Stokes is known for his explosive batting, pace bowling, and game-changing fielding and is widely celebrated as one of England’s greatest ever. He was a vital player in England’s 2019 Cricket World Cup win – top scorer in the final and super over hero; Player of the Match. Stokes is credited with inspiring England’s “Bazball” approach.

Social Media Links

• Official England Cricket Team Twitter: https://x.com/englandcricket – Updates on team news, matches, and player activities.
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/englandcricket/?hl=en – Behind-the-scenes content and match highlights.
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/englandcricket/ – Fan engagement and live updates.
• Official Website: https://www.ecb.co.uk/ – Schedules, stats, and player profiles.