He last played an ODI in November 2024.
England all-rounder Sam Curran is back in the fifty-over side for the New Zealand series next month. He was selected in both white-ball formats for the tour, which includes three T20Is and three ODIs. This comes as a great opportunity for him to stake his claim for the Cricket World Cup 2027.
Sam Curran recently made his return to the T20I side during the series against South Africa, having not played under head coach Brendon McCullum previously. With the T20 World Cup 2026 and the ODI World Cup a year later, Curran could be key for England.
When we talk about the ideal white-ball side, one aspect that plays a huge role is a pace-bowling all-rounder. Having one of those in your top seven provides great balance to the side and more flexibility. It is no surprise that most all-time great One-Day sides have had a quality pace all-rounder.
England had a great run in ODIs when Ben Stokes was at the peak of his powers. Since he stepped away from the format, they have had a tough time finding a replacement. The team management has tried several pace as well as spin all-rounders to find the right balance, but with not much success.
They made some changes following the Champions Trophy 2025 group stage exit. They dropped Liam Livingstone and tried Will Jacks in a similar No.7 role. However, Jacks has played as a top order batter and adapting to this role was a huge task for him. He wasn’t picked in either of the white-ball squads, which indicates that this experiment is over.
As things suggest, Curran is likely to be in the England playing XI in those three ODIs against the Black Caps. He can be flexible in the batting order, and his pace bowling should be more effective in South Africa, where the World Cup will be held.
ALSO READ:
Sam Curran has had his chances to cement his place in the ODI side under Jos Buttler’s leadership. When he smashed a valiant 95* off 83 in England’s seven-run defeat versus India in Ranchi in 2021, it felt like they may have found the answer.
His numbers remained the same over the course of the next three years, where he averaged 24 with the bat and struck at 94. The left-arm seamer also failed to make a mark with his bowling. He picked up 21 wickets from 24 games in this period at an economy of 6.42 before he was dropped.
The 27-year-old now has a chance to revive his international career, having been picked on the back of strong performances in domestic cricket. Curran was exceptional in the title-winning season for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred. He scored 238 runs in the tournament at an average of 34 while striking at 176. He also bagged 12 wickets at an economy of 8.55.
Although in a different format, Curran has looked in much better stead mentally. He has delivered in pressure situations before. He has shown great intent with the bat and has worked on his bowling. There is more merit in trying a seam all-rounder like him instead of someone who bowls part-time spin. And if Curran clicks this time, it will set England up well for the World Cup 2027.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
