SAM CURRAN RULED OUT FOR SEASON AFTER GROIN SURGERY

Sam Curran has been ruled out of the remainder of the English season following a groin injury that requires surgical intervention. The Surrey all-rounder will undergo an operation on Friday. He will miss England's white-ball matches against Sri Lanka in September and all remaining County Championship fixtures. Curran last played Test cricket in 2021 and had been under consideration for recall to face Pakistan this summer.

Selector Marcus North had previously indicated that Curran could have featured in England's ongoing first Test at Headingley had fitness management not been necessary during The Hundred competition. North suggested Curran would come into contention for the third Test scheduled for 9 September. The groin issue first emerged in March when Curran withdrew from this year's Indian Premier League, and he subsequently missed one Hundred match whilst managing his bowling load across four other group games. England proceeded without Curran by selecting Dan Lawrence to bat at number six and provide part-time off-spin bowling, following the retirement of Ben Stokes.

Will Jacks, another all-rounder, is also absent from Surrey's squad for Thursday's County Championship match against Nottinghamshire after undergoing appendix surgery. His availability for the forthcoming T20 and ODI series with Sri Lanka will be assessed ahead of those fixtures. England's selection strategy reflects the challenge posed by injuries to multiple squad members in key all-rounder positions during an important international schedule.