Sam Curran, who was left out of the squad for the first two Tests due to fitness concerns, is scheduled to return to Test cricket for England’s third Test against Pakistan on September 9.
England’s first two Test match rosters were announced on August 6, 2026. Curran was left out due to a tough summer schedule, which forced him to play through ailments and miss a hundred matches.
After missing the IPL owing to a groin ailment, Curran returned to bowling form in July 2026. However, due to the accumulated fatigue from the summer, the selectors decided not to include him in the first two games of the series, which begins on August 19, 2026.
In an interview with Cricinfo, selector Marcus North confirmed that Curran’s exclusion was completely based on his fitness. Curran remains eligible for the third Test if he recovers in time, according to North, who described him as a “player of interest” for England.
Why did Sam Curran miss Pakistan’s first two Test matches?
When asked to explain Curran’s absence, North was clear. The selector agreed that it would be unreasonable to expect Curran to begin a Test series without appropriate preparation time, as he had been nursing niggles over a busy summer calendar.
He is someone our backroom staff and medical team will be working with in the coming weeks to ensure that he is a viable option for the third Test.
He’s someone we truly value and see having a role for us in the future as an all-around player. “Sam Curran is certainly a player of interest to us,” North told the aforementioned source.
What role could Sam Curran play if he makes a comeback in the third Test?
Sam Curran won 24 Test caps between 2018 and 2021, making his Test debut at the age of 19 against Pakistan at Headingley in June 2018. Since then, he has focused on white-ball formats and has not played in Test cricket in five years.
According to North, Curran would have been considered for the all-rounder position at No. 6 or 7, ahead of Dan Lawrence, and he would have played in the first two Tests if healthy.
Jordan Cox will bat third after Jacob Bethell was out for the series owing to a knee injury, while Lawrence will bat sixth in the first two games.
He also indicated that England is examining alternative options to fill the vacuum caused by the departure of former captain and ace all-rounder Ben Stokes.
“I would have thought he’d be on the squad, giving us the option of playing Sam Curran at No. 6 or 7, if we felt that was the right balance, or going with six [specialist] batters and [Jamie] Smith.”
England’s medical and backroom staff will work with Sam Curran in the coming weeks to determine whether he is available for selection in the third Test. With Ben Stokes’ retirement, it’s evident that he brought a certain balance to the team,” North remarked.
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