Sam Curran admits he was ‘a bit gutted’ not to be handed a Test recall following Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury in the summer but wants to remind selectors of his all-format utility by playing the centerpiece on England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean. Sam Curran ever since being making his Test debut in 2018 against India hasn’t been a regular member of the side despite producing scintillating performances with both bat & ball.
Sam Curran’s Uncertain Future in England’s White-Ball Cricket
Curran was named Player of the Final and Tournament when leading England to the T20 World Cup in Australia two years ago, but his future in the team is somewhat uncertain at 26 – due both to a lack of clear definition of his role in white-ball cricket, which has served him so well in domestic leagues, and also due to the fact that he doesn’t feel he is the “right” kind of cricketer that the new England.
Curran was unable to exert much influence in England’s poor title defence in the Caribbean this year, taking three wickets at an average of 38.33, and batting for a total of 11 balls in five T20Is, while he last played an ODI in December 2023 that saw England’s Asia Cup hopes demolished in the World Cup that winter.
Sam Curran’s Limited Test Opportunities Amidst England’s Changing Dynamics
In red-ball cricket however, Curran’s most Test appearance was against India in August 2021 so he has not played in any of the 30 matches so far in McCullum’s England’s campaign. Despite this, he has the driest of touches when it comes to playing for the winning side, having won 16 of his 24 caps to date, including seven straight wins from what was his debut series as a 20-year-old in the summer of 2018 against India.
Some of the time that is because Stokes is England’s senior all rounder. But Curran also fears that his hardware is not on his side as well either In one conversation. While the left-arm line is unique, his 5ft9in medium pacers are not fashionable, although this was demonstrated with Leicestershire’s 20-year-old left-armer, Josh Hull (6ft7in and high 80s pace) earning a surprise Test debut at the Curran’s backyard, the Kia Oval, last month.
“The way the teams are being set up now, guys are getting picked for certain skills and a bit out of the unknown,” Curran told talkSPORT. “As a county player, it’s an interesting one, because you’ve got to hope that you fit that mould right now. And if you don’t, you’ve just got to crack on and win games for your franchise and your counties, and just hope that that call comes.“There’s actually nothing you can do about it. If you fit what they’re looking for, you’re great. But if you don’t, it actually might not be an ability thing,”
Exclusion from Sri Lanka Series Fuels Recall Hopes for Curran
That feeling that Curran’s face does not currently add up was further heightened by his exclusion from the recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. When Stokes twisted his hamstring in the Hundred in early August – an injury that has also ruled him out of the ongoing first Test in Pakistan’s Multan – Curran could start to entertain the notion of further Test recall.
“I’ll be totally honest, when Stokesy got injured, I did probably think that was my way back into the Test team A couple of weeks back, I had a meeting with Keysy [Rob Key, director of cricket] just to get a bit of understanding of where the group is, and how I see myself getting back into the Test side,”“Being a young player who experienced Test cricket so young, I feel like I had an advantage to know what it’s about, to know what winning a Test match is, and the grind and the grit and attitude that you need … so I was a little bit gutted. Selection is selection, but I thought that was my way back into the side at the minute,”“They’ve got their own structure at the minute, and they’re picking the guys that fit that environment, and there’s a big thing going on at the minute about extra pace and stuff like that. And I guess for 12 months’ time, and the Ashes, these are the guys they want, so you can’t question it until the plan comes to an end,”
For the moment though, England’s eight match Caribbean tour affords Curran a distinct shot at the spotlight – and though the team balance and timing of the tour, between the end of the Pakistan Test series and the beginning of the tour of New Zealand may provide the opportunities for him to bat in slot three or four given the multi-format solidions some of the players in the team.
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