Ben Stokes calls Headingley's 2027 Ashes exclusion 'shambolic'
Synopsis
Ben Stokes called the ECB's 2027 Ashes venue list 'shambolic' — and he has a point. With Headingley and Old Trafford both cut, northern England gets no Ashes cricket until 2031. That is an eight-year gap at grounds where England have been dominant, and it raises real questions about whether the ECB's scheduling priorities align with growing the game beyond its traditional southern heartland.
Key Takeaways
Ben Stokes described the exclusion of Headingley from the 2027 Ashes as 'shambolic' via Instagram Stories on 22 August .
The ECB confirmed the 2027 Ashes will be held at Trent Bridge , Lord's , Edgbaston , Rose Bowl , and The Oval — with no northern venue.
Both Headingley and Old Trafford are omitted; they are next scheduled to host Ashes Tests in 2031 .
Test captain Joe Root called the omission a 'shame,' citing England's seven consecutive Test wins at Headingley.
Broadcaster Mark Butcher called it 'extraordinary' and 'bizarre' on Sky Sports .
Former England captain Ben Stokes has labelled the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) decision to leave Headingley off the 2027 men's Ashes schedule as 'shambolic,' adding his voice to a widening chorus of criticism from players and broadcasters over the absence of a northern venue from one of cricket's most-watched series.
Stokes Speaks Out on Instagram
Stokes aired his frustration via Instagram Stories on 22 August, responding to a post discussing the schedule. 'Shame is an understatement. Shambolic would be more appropriate. Great win though,' he wrote, the comment arriving in the wake of England's innings-and-103-run victory over Pakistan at Leeds. The timing underscored the irony: a ground delivering dominant Test wins is being bypassed for the sport's biggest bilateral series.
The 2027 Ashes Schedule and What It Leaves Out
The ECB confirmed that the 2027 Ashes will be staged across Trent Bridge, Lord's, Edgbaston, Rose Bowl, and The Oval. Both Headingley and Old Trafford — the two major northern venues — were omitted entirely. The decision means no Ashes cricket will be played north of Nottingham in 2027, a fact that has drawn sharp reactions across the cricketing community.
Root and Butcher Add Their Voices
Newly appointed Test captain Joe Root had already called the northern omission a 'shame,' noting England's record of seven consecutive Test wins at Headingley as evidence of the ground's significance. Former England batter Mark Butcher went further during the Day 3 broadcast, telling Sky Sports: 'I think anybody but the most partisan Hampshire cricket supporter would recognise that in a sport and particularly in a series like the Ashes, where the interest in the game is at its peak at any point over a four-year cycle, that the game being marketed as a game for everybody needs to have some representation and needs to have a game in the north.' Butcher added: 'I find it extraordinary that there'll be no Ashes cricket up in the north of England beyond Trent Bridge next year. It's bizarre.'
Context: Northern Venues Return Only in 2031
Both Headingley and Old Trafford are scheduled to host Ashes matches in 2031, meaning northern England faces an eight-year wait between home Ashes fixtures at those grounds. Critics argue this concentrates the series among southern and midland venues, limiting accessibility for fans in the north and undermining the ECB's own stated ambition of growing cricket's reach across the country.
What Comes Next
The ECB has not publicly responded to the wave of criticism from Stokes, Root, and Butcher. With the 2027 Ashes schedule now confirmed, any change to venue allocation appears unlikely — but the debate over how Test cricket grounds are selected for marquee series is unlikely to quieten ahead of the tournament.
Point of View
And sidelining it for the Ashes is a scheduling choice that is hard to justify on cricketing grounds alone. The deeper issue is structural: when marquee series are allocated to the same cluster of venues repeatedly, the ECB's 'cricket for everyone' messaging rings hollow to fans in Yorkshire and Lancashire who will now wait until 2031 for an Ashes Test in their region.
NationPress
22 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Headingley excluded from the 2027 Ashes schedule?
The ECB has not publicly stated a specific reason for excluding Headingley from the 2027 Ashes. The confirmed venues — Trent Bridge, Lord's, Edgbaston, Rose Bowl, and The Oval — are all located in the south or midlands of England, leaving no northern ground on the schedule.
What did Ben Stokes say about the 2027 Ashes venues?
Stokes posted on Instagram Stories calling the decision 'shambolic,' saying 'Shame is an understatement. Shambolic would be more appropriate.' He made the comment in response to a post about the schedule, alongside a reference to England's innings-and-103-run win over Pakistan at Headingley.
When will Headingley and Old Trafford next host an Ashes Test?
Both Headingley and Old Trafford are scheduled to host Ashes Tests in 2031, meaning northern England faces an eight-year gap without a home Ashes fixture at either ground.
Who else has criticised the 2027 Ashes venue decision?
Test captain Joe Root called the omission of northern venues a 'shame,' pointing to England's seven consecutive Test wins at Headingley. Broadcaster Mark Butcher described it as 'extraordinary' and 'bizarre' during a live Sky Sports broadcast.
What is England's record at Headingley in recent Tests?
England have won seven consecutive Tests at Headingley, a run that Joe Root cited when criticising the ECB's decision to exclude the ground from the 2027 Ashes schedule.
