Sam Curran has expressed his disappointment at not being picked in the England Test squad following Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury leading up to the series against Sri Lanka.
Curran was the Player of the Final and Tournament in the 2022 T20 World Cup, but still, his international career hasn’t taken the flight he would have liked. He featured in England’s T20 World Cup campaign this year, taking only three wickets at an average of 38.33 and batting only 11 deliveries in five matches. His last ODI came during England's underwhelming ODI World Cup, while his most recent Test outing came against India back in 2021, meaning he hasn't played a single Test in the Bazball era.
The all-rounder feels he doesn't quite "fit the mould" of England’s current requirements of "extra pace", claiming it as one of the reasons for his sporadic opportunities.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Curran said: "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.
"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."
India batted just 312 balls across two innings to win the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh 😲
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) October 7, 2024
Sunil Gavaskar believes the credit for that victory should go to captain Rohit Sharma alone, and not head coach Gautam Gambhir…
➡️ https://t.co/Le3IS2Mzlb pic.twitter.com/lzuQlkxGEt
Curran disappointed to miss out on a Test recall
Curran expected a Test comeback when Stokes was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series owing to a hamstring injury in The Hundred.
"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.
He added: "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."
Despite the setbacks, Curran is looking forward to reinstating his all-format credentials in the upcoming Caribbean white-ball tour. England’s short turnaround from the Pakistan Test series meant Curran could have a bigger role in the possible absence of several regulars.
"My goal is always to try and get back into the England sides, and there's only one way of doing that … scoring runs, taking wickets and winning games for England or the franchises. 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.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
