Sam Curran is anticipated to return to Test cricket for England’s third game against Pakistan on September 9 after being kept out of the squad for the first two Tests due to fitness concerns. England’s roster for the first two Test matches was revealed on August 6, 2026. Due to a rigorous summer schedule that forced him to play through injuries and miss a Hundred match, Curran was left out.
In July 2026, Curran resumed bowling after missing the IPL owing to a groin ailment. However, selectors decided not to include him in the first two games of the series, which begins on August 19, 2026, because of the accumulated fatigue from the summer.
Selector Marcus North confirmed that Curran’s omission was only because of his fitness in an interview with Cricinfo. North described Curran as a “player of interest” for England and said he is still eligible for the third Test if he heals in time.
Why did Sam Curran miss Pakistan’s opening two Test matches?
North was direct in his explanation of Curran’s absence. “I think [it would be] unfair to put him into these first two Tests,” the selector said, acknowledging that Curran has been nursing niggles through a demanding summer calendar and that it would not have been fair to ask him to begin a Test series without adequate preparation time.
In the upcoming weeks, our medical team and backstage personnel will be working with him to see if he can be considered for the third test. We hold him in the highest regard and anticipate him contributing to us as an all-around player in the future. “We are definitely interested in Sam Curran,” North told the aforementioned source.
What part might Sam Curran play if he returns for the third Test?
Sam Curran made his Test debut against Pakistan at Headingley in June 2018 at the age of 19, earning 24 caps between 2018 and 2021. Since then, he has focused on white-ball formats and hasn’t participated in Test cricket for five years.
North claims that if Sam Curran had been healthy, he would have been a member of the team for the first two Tests and would have been considered for the all-rounder spot at No. 6 or 7, ahead of Dan Lawrence. Due to a knee injury that kept Jacob Bethell out of the series, Jordan Cox will bat at number three, and Lawrence will start the first two games at number six in the order.
He added that due to the hole created by former captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes’ retirement, England is looking at alternative options.
“I would have assumed that he would be in the squad, which would allow us to either go with six [specialist] batters plus [Jamie] Smith or play Sam Curran at No. 6 or 7 if we felt that was the correct balance.” Over the next few weeks, Sam Curran will work with England’s backroom and medical staff to see whether he can be selected for the third Test. Ben Stokes’ retirement makes it very evident that he gave the team a certain balance,” North remarked.
