England tour of South Africa 2026-27 runs from 17 December 2026 to 15 January 2027, featuring three Tests and three ODIs.
The Tests begin at the Wanderers on 17 December, followed by the Boxing Day Test at Centurion and the New Year Test at Newlands from 3 January. England have named a 15-man Test squad led by Joe Root, with Liam Patterson-White earning a maiden call-up.
Here is the squad, full fixtures, venues and key series context.
England Test Squad for South Africa 2026-27
England announced a 15-member squad on 9 November 2026 for Tour of South Africa 2026-27. Only two changes were made from the side that beat Pakistan 3-0 at the end of the home summer.
- Batters: Joe Root (captain), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay
- Wicketkeeper-batters: Jordan Cox, Jamie Smith
- Batting all-rounders: Jacob Bethell, Dan Lawrence
- Bowling all-rounders: Gus Atkinson, Liam Patterson-White
- Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Sam Cook, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue
England Squad Changes: Who Is In and Who Missed Out
| Player | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Liam Patterson-White | Maiden call-up | Nottinghamshire left-arm spinner, 42 Division One wickets at 25.11 |
| Jacob Bethell | Returns | Back after the knee injury that ended his summer |
| Ollie Pope, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts | Not selected | Travel with the England Lions instead |
Ben Stokes is not in the squad. He retired from international cricket earlier this year, which is why Root leads the side.
Joe Root Captain and Stephen Fleming Head Coach
Root returned as Test captain on 30 July 2026 for his second spell. He has already led England in a national record 65 Tests, winning 27 of them in his first stint.
Stephen Fleming takes charge of England’s red-ball side for the first time on this tour. Harry Brook stays as white-ball captain, which lets him focus on the 2027 World Cup.
England Squad Analysis: Batting, Pace and Spin
Batting depth. Root, Brook, Duckett and Bethell form a strong core, with Gay, Lawrence and the keepers adding options. Smith and Cox give England two keeper-batters in a 15-man group.
Pace-heavy attack. Archer, Atkinson, Baker, Tongue, Cook and Robinson give Fleming six seam options. That suits the pace and carry at the Wanderers and Centurion.
Spin question. Patterson-White is the only specialist spinner and has never played a Test. Local reports suggest he is unlikely to feature in the first two Tests, with Lawrence and Root covering any spin needs. Newlands in January is the match where spin could matter most, as South Africa’s spinners did well there in their recent series win over Australia.
England Players Arrival Plan for the South Africa Tour
Because England’s white-ball side is touring Australia, the Test squad travels in three groups.
| Group | Players | Travel |
|---|---|---|
| Early group | Cook, Gay, Lawrence, Patterson-White, Robinson, Smith | Camp at Pietermaritzburg from 25 November |
| Second group | Archer, Atkinson, Baker, Duckett, Root | Fly out on 2 December after the Australia ODIs |
| Third group | Brook, Bethell, Cox | Travel directly after the fourth T20I in Sydney on 29 November |
The full squad will be together for about a fortnight before the first Test.
South Africa Squad for England Tests 2026-27
At the time of writing, South Africa have not announced their Test squad for this series. Temba Bavuma leads the Proteas, who are the reigning ICC World Test champions.
They recently returned to the top of the Test rankings after a 2-1 series win over Australia. This section will be updated once Cricket South Africa confirms the 15.
WTC Context: England vs South Africa Standings
| Team | WTC 2025-27 position | Points percentage |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 2nd | 71.43 |
| England | 6th | 38.64 |
These are the figures reported when England named their squad, and they will move as other series finish. England need strong results here to climb the table.
Venue Guide: Where the Tests and ODIs Will Be Played
- Wanderers, Johannesburg. The Highveld venue is known for pace and bounce. England’s quicks will like it.
- SuperSport Park, Centurion. The traditional Boxing Day Test venue, also offering pace and carry.
- Newlands, Cape Town. Hosts the New Year Test. It can turn late in the match, which makes the spin balance important.
- Boland Park, Paarl and Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein. These host the ODI leg, with two games in Bloemfontein.
Why There Are No T20Is on This Tour
A three-match T20I series was originally planned in the Future Tours Programme. It was removed after a clash with the SA20, which runs from 9 January to 14 February 2027. Both boards said they are exploring options to reschedule it later.
England vs South Africa History in South Africa
England won 3-1 on their last Test tour of South Africa in 2019-20, coming back from 1-0 down in a four-match series. South Africa won the home series in 2015-16. The Boxing Day and New Year Tests are some of the most watched fixtures in the Proteas calendar.
ODI Squads for England Tour of South Africa 2026-27
Neither side has named its ODI squad yet. The three ODIs run from 10 to 15 January 2027, so squads should follow once the white-ball tour of Australia wraps up and the Tests get closer.
Conclusion
The England tour of South Africa 2026-27 gives Joe Root and new coach Stephen Fleming an early big test against the reigning World Test champions. England’s pace-heavy 15 leans on Archer, Atkinson and Tongue, while the untested Liam Patterson-White may be key at Newlands.
Watch the opener on 17 December at the Wanderers, then the Boxing Day Test at Centurion. Bookmark this page, as South Africa’s squad and both ODI squads will be updated here once officially confirmed.
FAQs
The first Test starts on 17 December 2026 at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. The tour ends with the third ODI on 15 January 2027.
Joe Root, in his second spell as Test captain.
Left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White.
Three Tests and three ODIs. The T20Is were removed.
No. He has retired from international cricket.
Jacob Bethell, after a knee injury.
