Tom Curran

Tom Curran is a slick fast bowler with a deadly yorker, whose impressive performances as a youngster for Surrey quickly saw him earn international recognition as he debuted for England in all three formats as a 22-year-old.

After playing a handful of white-ball games during the 2017 home summer, he was brought into England's squad for the 2017-18 Ashes after an injury to Steve Finn, and performed creditably despite an eventual lack of wickets. His white-ball form continued, as he starred in an ODI in Perth immediately after those Tests, taking 5 for 35 to close out a narrow win, and he earned an IPL deal with Kolkata Knight Riders for 2018.

He remained around the international setup for the next 18 months, and was named in the 50-over World Cup squad for 2019 after edging out David Willey, but didn't manage to get on the field; his short-form performances suggested that the T20 World Cups in the coming years would be his opportunity to star. That didn't happen; he was left out of both 2021 and 2022 tournaments. In February 2023, he made the decision to take an indefinite break from all red ball cricket - this after registering a maiden first class century during the previous summer while playing for Surrey against Northamptonshire, the county his father, Kevin, served. A month later he reported pain in his lower back while turning out for Islamabad United in the PSL. Scans revealed he had succumbed to a stress fracture for the second time in as many years.

Curran, the older brother of Ben and Sam, had a breakout summer for Surrey in 2015, as they won promotion in the County Championship and reached the final of the Blast. His ponytail didn't last long, as coach Alec Stewart convinced him to get rid of it before the photographers recorded the young player of the year awards at the end of the season. He took the most wickets in Division Two , with 76, and were the joint-most in a Championship season for Surrey since Waqar Younis' 113 in 1991.

The step up to Division One proved harder than anticipated, as he took on a workhorse role on some flat pitches at The Oval, but he earned selection for an England Lions tour alongside Sam at the end of the season.

Having grown up in Cape Town, Tom Curran was spotted by former Surrey captain Ian Greig while playing schools cricket. He was invited to play Second XI cricket for Surrey in 2012, at the age of 17, and took 5 for 21 against Kent in his second game. He also began at Wellington School in September 2012. A month later, tragedy struck when his father, the former Zimbabwe cricketer Kevin, died suddenly. But Curran decided to remain at Wellington, helped by the school offering his two younger brothers the chance to study there too.

Surrey observers were immediately struck by his talent. Fast and generating away swing, former coach Chris Adams even fancifully likened him to Dale Steyn, although he was more robust and not as fast. He took 5 for 34 against Scotland in a one-day game in 2013, but had to wait until 2014 to get his first-class chance in a Surrey attack brimful of pace pedigree. He immediately justified the hype, and also managed the transition between first-class and T20 cricket with astonishing ease for a teenager. The only disappointment was that he failed, in limited opportunities, to show his considerable promise as a batsman. While injury limited his breakthrough season to seven first-class games, Curran had already established a reputation, and Ireland - for whom he was eligible to play - tried to persuade him to declare for them without success.
ESPNcricinfo staff