England To Host Sri Lanka In 2024 For Three-Match Test Series

England will host Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series as part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. The series kicks off with the first Test on Wednesday, August 21, at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Ben Stokes, England's red ball captain, will miss the series due to an injury sustained during The Hundred tournament. Vice-captain Ollie Pope will step in as the stand-in captain, and no replacement has been named for Stokes.

The second and third Tests will take place in London. The second match is scheduled at Lord's on August 29, followed by the final Test at The Oval on September 6.

England squad for Sri Lanka series: Ollie Pope (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Sri Lanka Squad for England series: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vice captain), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.

Sri Lanka will be led by Dhananjaya de Silva with Kusal Mendis as his deputy. They have included pacer Milan Rathnayake and all-rounder Nisala Tharaka for their maiden call-ups in this series.

• August 21 - August 25: 1st Test - Old Trafford, Manchester - 3:30 PM IST
• August 29 - September 2: 2nd Test - Lord's, London - 3:30 PM IST
• September 6 - September 10: 3rd Test - The Oval, London - 3:30 PM IST

Sri Lanka currently sits fourth in the WTC standings with a PCT of 50%, while England is sixth with a PCT of 36.54%. England enters this series after a clean sweep against West Indies at home. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka last played a Test series in March when they won against Bangladesh.

This marks Sri Lanka's first visit to England for a Test series since 2016. However, the two teams last faced each other in Tests three years ago when England toured Sri Lanka in 2021.

The upcoming matches are crucial for both teams as they aim to improve their positions in the WTC standings. Fans can expect intense competition as both sides bring strong squads to the field.

The series promises exciting cricket action with seasoned players and new talents showcasing their skills. Cricket enthusiasts around the world eagerly await these encounters between England and Sri Lanka.