Overview
- England announced their squad for the first two Tests without Sam Curran after selectors ruled on Thursday that it would be unfair to rush him back while he manages fitness concerns.
- Selector Marcus North said Curran has carried niggles through a heavy summer of matches and missed games in The Hundred after a groin problem that kept him out of IPL 2026.
- England’s medical and backroom staff will monitor Curran over the coming weeks and could name him for the third Test starting on September 9 if his condition improves.
- North described Curran as a 'player of interest' to help replace the all‑round balance lost when Ben Stokes retired, and said Curran would have been considered for No. 6 or 7 if fully fit.
- Curran made his Test debut at 19 and played 24 Tests between 2018 and 2021 before focusing on white‑ball cricket, and his red‑ball return will depend on careful workload management to avoid re‑injury.