Sam Curran Ready to Step Into Ben Stokes’ Shoes for England’s Pakistan Test

Sam Curran has expressed his readiness to fill the void left by Ben Stokes’ shock international retirement in England’s Test lineup ahead of their upcoming August clash with Pakistan.

The 28-year-old all-rounder spoke after Stokes announced his departure from England duty during the fourth day of the team’s heavy defeat to New Zealand, leaving a significant gap in the side’s composition.

While options exist for leadership roles in white-ball cricket and Test captaincy, finding Stokes’ replacement as a fast-bowling all-rounder presents a more complex challenge for England’s selectors.

Curran, who last played Test cricket in 2018, brings relevant experience having claimed 47 wickets at 35.51 and averaged 24.69 with the bat across his 24 Test appearances. His standout 2018 performance against India, earning him Player of the Series recognition, demonstrates his capability at the highest level.

“Stokesy’s going to be a big gap to fill for whoever takes that role, but yeah, I love playing for England,” Curran said. “There’s obviously going to be a lot of noise on whoever takes that spot. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but I’m a competitive person — whatever challenge is thrown at me, I’ll try my best.”

The left-arm swing bowler, currently focused on England’s T20 series against India, remains open to a Test recall. “Whatever format that is, I’ll do my best whenever I can,” he added.

Curran has been named in a 16-player squad for England’s upcoming ODI series against India, with Joe Root returning to the fold. The three-match series begins at Edgbaston on July 14.

England made two changes to their T20 squad for the remainder of the India series, introducing Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue while dropping Saqib Mahmood and Luke Wood.

Uncapped 22-year-old James Coles, another potential Stokes replacement as a spin-bowling all-rounder, has also been retained in the Test squad development.

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