"I'll be totally honest, when Stokesy got injured, I did probably think that was my way back into the Test team" - Sam Curran
England all-rounder Sam Curran voiced his frustration at not being considered by the management for the latter half of the home season and the Pakistan tour after Ben Stokes' injury. The England Test captain had injured his hamstring while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred 2024.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) got through the three-match series against Sri Lanka without calling up an all-rounder. Instead, they played an extra bowler, bestowing faith on Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes to bat at No. 6 and 7, respectively, following the temporary shuffle.
Curran played a couple of matches for champions Surrey in the County Championship season, taking six wickets at an average of 18.83 and an economy rate of 2.23. He had made a promising start to his Test career after debuting in 2018 against Pakistan. The all-rounder had a landmark home series against India and provided a lot of balance and versatility to the team.
However, he has not been part of the Bazball era, with his last red-ball appearance for England coming in 2021.
"The way the teams are being set up now, guys are getting picked for certain skills and a bit out of the unknown. 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," Curran told TalkSPORT via ESPNcricinfo.
The England red-ball bowling unit did have vacancies after James Anderson and Stuart Broad's retirement. Despite a left-arm seamer being in demand, Sam Curran was overlooked for rookie Josh Hull, primarily because of the X-factor he brings with his tall frame.
"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," Curran said.
"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," he added
Sam Curran has played 24 Tests to date, scoring 815 runs at an average of 24.69. He has also accounted for 47 wickets at an average of 35.51.
"They've got their own structure at the minute, and they're picking the guys that fit that environment" - Sam Curran
Sam Curran's white-ball fortunes have also been declining. He was a certified starter in the T20I and ODI squads, but a lack of clarity and inconsistency have affected his returns. The all-rounder had a minimal impact in England's 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, and a similar outcome was witnessed during the home series against Australia recently.
Curran has improved his batting credentials, being among the runs while batting in the middle order for both the Punjab Kings and Surrey. He even recorded his maiden T20 ton while batting for the latter in the recently concluded T20 Blast.
"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," Curran explained in the same interaction.
"There's no doubt I'd love to be on an Ashes tour or in a Champions Trophy victory. I'm someone who likes to prove a point, so fingers crossed the next couple of months go well," he concluded
Curran was not selected for the five-match ODI series against Australia, considered a crucial pre-cursor for the 2025 Champions trophy. The all-rounder, however, has been named in the squad for the white-ball West Indies tour.