The England all-rounder Sam Curran feels disappointed to be overlooked for a test recall after captain Ben Stokes sustained a hamstring injury this summer.
But he hopes for a key role on England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean will restate his credentials across formats.
Despite being named as the player of the finals and the tournament in England’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2022, Curran’s international career is at something of a crossroads at the age of 26 both because he has lacked the role clarity in white ball cricket which he had in franchise circuit.
But also because he senses he doesn’t quite “fit the mould” of what England is looking for now that Brendon McCullum has taken over as head coach in all formats.
“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,” Sam Curran told media.
The Surrey all-rounder’s last test appearance came against India in August 2021, missing out of the 30 matches played under Brendon McCullum’s tenure as head coach.
Curran suspects that his physical attributes may be working against him in the current setup which favours taller and fastest bowlers.
“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,” Sam Curran added.
The Northampton remains focused on proving his worth in the team. The upcoming tour of the Caribbean is a good opportunity for him, potentially batting higher up the order in the absence of several multi-format stars.
“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.
Currently, England is playing in the first test match against Pakistan at Multan Cricket Stadium.
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