Sam Curran to Undergo Groin Surgery, Ending England Recall Hopes

BBC Sport reports that England all-rounder Sam Curran will undergo surgery on a groin injury and miss the remainder of the English season. The setback ends the 28-year-old's chance of returning to the Test side during the current series against Pakistan and rules him out of Surrey's remaining domestic matches.

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Curran had emerged as a possible option for England as the selectors considered how to balance the Test team following Ben Stokes' retirement. He has played 24 Tests, but his most recent appearance in the format came in 2021. His ability to contribute with both left-arm seam and the bat had put him back in the selection discussion.

England selector Marcus North had said Curran might have featured in the first Test against Pakistan if he had not been managing his fitness during The Hundred. North also indicated that the all-rounder could come into contention for the third Test, scheduled to begin on 9 September. Further medical assessment has now closed off that possibility.

According to the BBC report, Curran is due to have the operation on Friday. The resulting absence will also keep him out of England's T20 and one-day international series against Sri Lanka in September. No timetable beyond the end of the English season was reported for his return.

The groin problem has already affected Curran's 2026 schedule. He withdrew from this year's Indian Premier League in March because of a groin issue. While captaining MI London in The Hundred, he missed one match and failed to complete his full bowling allocation in four of the team's other seven group games.

Curran's absence leaves England without one of the seam-bowling all-rounders they had considered for the Pakistan series. For the first Test at Headingley, England did not select a frontline spinner, instead choosing Dan Lawrence at number six and using his part-time off-spin as part of the effort to balance the side. Will Jacks, another all-round option, is also currently unavailable to Surrey after surgery to remove his appendix, with his availability for the Sri Lanka series still to be assessed.