England all-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out for the remainder of the English season after being advised to undergo surgery on a groin injury, ending his hopes of making a Test comeback this summer.Curran, 28, will undergo an operation on Friday and will miss Surrey’s remaining matches as well as England’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka in September. The injury is a major setback for the all-rounder, who had emerged as a potential option for England’s Test side following Ben Stokes’ retirement.
Test comeback put on hold
Curran last played Test cricket in 2021 but had been under consideration for a recall during England’s ongoing series against Pakistan. Selector Marcus North had suggested Curran could have been in contention for the first Test had he not been managing his fitness during The Hundred.North had also indicated that Curran could potentially come into consideration for the third Test, scheduled to begin on September 9. Further assessment of the groin problem, however, has now ruled out that possibility.Curran’s fitness concerns had already affected his involvement in The Hundred. The Surrey all-rounder missed one match for MI London and did not bowl his full allocation in four of their other seven group games.He had also pulled out of this year’s Indian Premier League in March because of a groin issue.
England face all-rounder shortage
Curran’s absence further complicates England’s balance as they look to rebuild their Test combination following Stokes’ retirement. Without Curran, Stokes or another seam-bowling all-rounder, England opted against selecting a frontline spinner for the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley.Instead, Dan Lawrence was promoted to No. 6 and asked to contribute with his part-time off-spin as England sought a different way to balance the side.Another Surrey all-rounder, Will Jacks, is also currently sidelined after undergoing an operation to remove his appendix. Jacks, who performed a similar role during last winter’s Ashes, was left out of Surrey’s squad for Thursday’s County Championship match against Nottinghamshire.The ECB said Jacks’ recovery would be monitored before his availability for England’s T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka is assessed.“Neither Sam Curran nor Will Jacks are in Surrey’s squad for today’s resumption of the Rothesay County Championship. Sam Curran has been assessed for a groin injury and will undergo surgery on Friday. He will not be available for the remainder of the home season,” the ECB said in an injury update.“Will Jacks is currently recovering having had a successful operation to remove his appendix. We will monitor his recovery and assess availability ahead of the Sri Lanka series.”