Sam Curran said he is ready to fill the big void left in England’s Test squad by the international retirement of former captain Ben Stokes if called upon to replace the great all-rounder.
Team management is facing some difficult issues as a result of Stokes’ dramatic exit at Trent Bridge, where he announced he was leaving England service on the fourth afternoon of a Test that his team went on to lose badly as they suffered a 1-2 series defeat by New Zealand.
The obvious choices for England’s red-ball captain are white-ball captain Harry Brook and former Test captain Joe Root, but the question of who will take his place as a fast-bowling all-rounder who can balance the team appears to be more difficult.
The 28-year-old Curran may be the closest to resolving England’s predicament before their upcoming Test match against Pakistan in August at Headingley. Curran, a Surrey mainstay who averaged 24.69 with the bat and claimed 47 wickets at 35.51, gained the final of his 24 Test caps five years ago.
He was selected player of the series in 2018 at the age of 20 after a thrilling performance against India. Curran, a left-arm swing bowler who is presently playing in the T20 series against India, which will continue on Saturday at Old Trafford, would not hesitate to be called up for a Test match.
“Stokesy’s going to be a big gap to fill for whoever takes that role but, yeah, I love playing for England,” AFP quoted Curran telling reporters on Friday.
“There’s obviously going to be a lot of noise on whoever takes that spot. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, (but) I’m a competitive person –- whatever challenge is thrown at me, I’ll try my best.
“So whatever format that is, I’ll do my best whenever I can,” added Curran, the son of the late Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin Curran.
“We’ve got a big series here, so I’m focused on that and then we’ll see what happens later on. I’m feeling good. It’s a long summer ahead.”
Curran has also been included in a 16-man squad, mostly from the current T20 group, for a one-day international series against India. Sonny Baker, Luke Wood, Jordan Cox, Phil Salt, and Root return.
In a new validation of the 22-year-old’s skills, the selectors also keep uncapped James Coles, another potential option for Stokes should England choose a spin-bowling all-rounder. The three-match series starts on July 14 at Edgbaston and continues at Lord’s and Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
Jofra Archer and rookie Josh Tongue have replaced Saqib Mahmood and Luke Wood in England’s T20 squad after the washout in Durham.
England squad for India ODI series: Harry Brook (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wk), James Coles, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tongue
