London [UK], August 6 : Sam Curran remains in contention for a Test comeback but was left out of England's squad for the Pakistan series due to fitness concerns.
England selector Marcus North on Thursday ruled Curran out of contention for the first two Tests against Pakistan, saying it would be unfair to rush the all-rounder back while he continues to manage minor injury concerns after a demanding summer.
North revealed that England's medical staff will monitor Curran closely over the coming weeks to have him available for the third Test, stressing that the team continues to view him as a key all-rounder for the future.
Curran missed the IPL 2026 due to a groin injury; he initially returned as a specialist batter in the T20 Blast.
"I think [it would be] unfair to put him into these first two Tests. He's someone our backroom staff and medical team will be working with in the coming weeks to make sure that he potentially becomes an option in the third Test. He's someone that we really value highly, and we see playing a role in the future for us as an allrounder," North said as per Cricinfo.
"Sam has had a really heavy workload this summer playing a tremendous amount of cricket, and during that time he's been doing so with a couple of niggles, which you expect most bowlers to have. But at this stage with a couple of niggles - we've seen he's missed a game in the Hundred - we don't feel physically he's just quite right there," he added.
England opted against recalling Sam Curran, who was considered in Stokes' absence but was deemed not yet ready for a return to the Test arena after an injury-disrupted season.
However, North said Curran's all-round abilities have made him a "player of interest" following Ben Stokes' retirement, with the left-hander potentially in line for a recall for the third Test against Pakistan, starting on September 9.
"With the retirement of Ben Stokes, it's quite clear that he provided us with a certain balance in the team. Sam Curran is certainly a player of interest for us," he said.
Curran made his Test debut as a 19-year-old and earned 24 caps between 2018 and 2021 before falling out of the red-ball setup, with his career largely centred on white-ball cricket over the past five years.