England complete 3-0 series sweep of Pakistan after turbulent summer

England completed a 3-0 Test series whitewash of Pakistan on September 12, 2026, securing an eight-wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston. The win capped a turbulent summer for the team, which included leadership changes and off-field incidents, but captain Joe Root praised the squad's resilience. Chasing a modest target of 130, England suffered an early scare when openers Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay were dismissed for nought in the first over by Mohammad Abbas. However, Root and Jordan Cox steadied the innings with an unbeaten 128-run partnership. Root, who was reprieved when bowled off a no-ball from Mohammad Ali, finished unbeaten on 62, while Cox contributed 59 not out, guiding England to victory in the 25th over. The series victory was a significant turnaround for England following a 2-1 loss to New Zealand and the subsequent departures of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. Root, who returned to the captaincy after Stokes' retirement, described the period as a "very unusual summer" marked by chaos. "There's been a lot of chaos around this series before a ball was bowled," Root said after the match.