2024: England International Preview

The men's and women's Ashes series, alongside the women's T20 World Cup and men's 50-over World Cup, ensured that 2023 was one of the busiest years for high-profile cricketing events. This was supported in the Ashes, at least, by the performances of both teams and the record crowds for the women's matches.

This year will not include an Ashes series but two T20 World Cups (the men's in the USA and West Indies and women's in Bangladesh) and a host of bilateral series to keep the England fan fully engaged throughout the twelve months. England's men will play 17 Test matches and England's women will play 16 white-ball matches against New Zealand in preparation for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

On 25 January, England's Test tour of India will officially begin with a match staged in Hyderabad before matches staged in Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala. An overseas Test series in India is always one of the biggest challenges for any touring side and it will be interesting to see how 'Bazball' translates on those pitches. The tour officially finishes on 11 March.

It is then the turn of England women to kick start their 2024 following a short break at the start of the year. They travel to New Zealand to play the first of ten bilateral T20Is between March and July. The tour also includes three ODI's and will begin in Dunedin before moving to Nelson, Wellington and Hamilton.

In the middle of May Pakistan will arrive in England for both men's and women's white-ball series. These are series that have taken inspiration from the joint-marketing approach that was taken during last year's Ashes. The women's series starts on 11 May and will include three T20Is and three ODI's, whilst the men focus exclusively on T20 cricket in the run-up to the World Cup and therefore will play just four T20Is.

The World Cup in June means an absence of international cricket in England until 26 June when New Zealand women play the return leg of their series against England. Again there will be three ODIs and five T20Is beginning in Chester-le-Street and finishing at Lords on 17 July.

The men's Test summer begins on the unusually late date of 10th July with a three-match series against West Indies. This is followed later in the summer with a three-match series against Sri Lanka. Neither of these tours will include white-ball matches.

Australia will then play England men in September in a white-ball series comprising 3 T20s and 5 ODIs. This will bring the home international summer to its conclusion.

At the same time as Australia are visiting England, England women are scheduled to play a series in Ireland before heading to the World Cup at the end of the month. Dates for these have not yet been finalised.

The women's FTP (Future Tours Programme) contains one further commitment following the World Cup and that is a tour to South Africa - a tour that includes a Test match.

The men will play a further six Test matches before the end of 2024, three each against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as well as at least six white-ball matches in the West Indies. Again, dates are not finalised for these matches.