England line up Bangladesh for Ashes warm-up Test

England are expected to play a Test against Bangladesh before next summer’s Ashes after plans to face Pakistan were scuppered.

The match, which will be England’s last before the five-Test series against Australia, will complete the hosts’ preparations as they try to regain the urn.

England play six home Tests a summer under the terms of their arrangements with broadcasters, creating a slot for a one-off match at the start. Pakistan had been lined up but appear to have cooled on the idea, leading to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) looking at alternatives.

Bangladesh have been approached about playing the Test, their first in England for 17 years, instead. The one-off Test will effectively double as a warm-up game before the Ashes. After their limited preparation for last winter’s Ashes series was exposed, England are determined to give more attention to preparing for marquee series in the future.

Rather than Old Trafford, which was controversially not awarded an Ashes Test, the game is likely to be played at Lord’s.

With Lord’s expected to lose staging rights for the World Test Championship final to the Oval, hosting the match against Bangladesh would ensure that Lord’s still stages two men’s Tests next summer. In lieu of hosting Bangladesh, Old Trafford would receive a “fallow payment”, which is awarded to Test grounds that do not host a men’s Test in a particular summer. In practice, the fallow payment could be worth as much as Old Trafford would generate from the Bangladesh Test.

Ahead of the last two home Ashes summers, in 2019 and 2023, England hosted Ireland for a one-off Test at Lord’s. But while Ireland memorably bowled England out for 85 on the first morning in 2019 and threatened an upset, they were thrashed in 2023.

Privately, England were underwhelmed by Ireland’s preparation for the 2023 game, which the hosts won by 10 wickets after declaring on 524 for four. While Ireland played their inaugural Test in 2018, they do not have a first-class competition.

Bangladesh have an improving side. They defeated Pakistan 2-0 in a Test series in May and possess an exciting crop of fast bowlers, including Hasan Mahmud, who took nine wickets for Kent on debut against Lancashire last week.

England have not played Bangladesh in a Test since 2016. That year, Bangladesh recorded their first win over England in Dhaka to level the series. They have toured England for Test series twice, in 2005 and 2010, losing all four of the matches.

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