5 interesting facts about Ben Curran, who has been picked in Zimbabwe's squad for ODIs vs Afghanistan
Left-handed batter Ben Curran received his first-ever international call-up, as he has been included in Zimbabwe's squad for the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan at home.
The 28-year-old hails from a family with a storied, rich, and historic cricketing background. Ben Curran is the son of former and late Zimbabwe international Kevin Curran, who represented Zimbabwe in 11 ODIs and was also seen as the team's head coach later on.
With Ben included in the squad, he is just moments away from making his debut and following his father's footsteps of playing international cricket for Zimbabwe. The left-hander has made waves with his top form in domestic cricket, which led to him being rewarded with a maiden national call-up.
On that note, here are five interesting facts about Ben Curran, who has been picked in Zimbabwe's squad for the ODIs against Afghanistan.
#5 Ben Curran is the brother of England internationals Sam and Tom Curran
Continuing the cricketing legacy of his family, Ben Curran is all set for his international debut. The 28-year-old is the brother of Sam Curran and Tom Curran, both of whom play international cricket for England.
Tom Curran has played 60 international games for England while Sam Curran has represented England 117 times so far. As mentioned earlier, Ben is the son of Kevin Curran, who played international cricket for Zimbabwe.
Interestingly, Ben's grandfather is also named Kevin Curran, who played for Zimbabwe. That said, Ben will become the third generation from his family to play for Zimbabwe should he make his debut in the upcoming series.
#4 Ben played in the Zim Afro T10
The Zim Afro T10 is a T10 cricket league in Zimbabwe, where teams from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria participate. In the 2024 edition, Ben Curran played in the Zim Afro T10 league.
The left-handed batter was a part of the Cape Town Samp Army team. They finished fourth in the league stage and qualified for the playoffs. Moreover, they won the eliminator and the second qualifier to make the final as well.
Unfortunately, they lost the final against the Joburg Bangla Tigers and ended as runners-up, losing a closely contested game by five runs.
#3 Ben was born outside Zimbabwe
Interestingly, Ben Curran was not born in Zimbabwe. The 28-year-old was born in Northampton, while his father was playing county cricket in England. However, he spent a major part of his childhood in Zimbabwe.
His brothers Sam and Tom Curran decided to play international cricket for England. However, Ben decided to follow his father and returned to Zimbabwe. As the left-hander is now eligible to play for Zimbabwe, he also earned his maiden call-up.
#2 Ben played for Northamptonshire till 2022
Ben Curran played cricket for Northamptonshire until 2022. He signed up for Northamptonshire in the latter part of 2018. He was in the second XI and his impressive performances caught the club's attention.
Ben made his T20 debut for Northamptonshire against Derbyshire at Derby in August 2018. In the same year and month, he also made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire against Durham at Chester-le-Street.
Almost a year later in 2019, Ben made his List A debut for Northamptonshire against Worcestershire in April 2019.
#1 His brilliant domestic form led to his selection in Zimbabwe's squad
Interestingly, Ben Curran made himself available for selection just a couple of months ago. His selection comes after showcasing brilliant form in domestic cricket for Zimbabwe.
In the current season, he is the highest run-getter in the Pro50 List A competition and first-class Logan Cup competition, the premier domestic tournaments in Zimbabwe. He averages a commendable 64.50 in the 50-over format and an impressive 74.14 in the red-ball format.