Sam Curran has surgery on groin injury, ruling out England Test recall

Sam Curran has had an operation on a groin problem following the conclusion of the Hundred, removing any possibility of him returning to England’s Test side for the current series against Pakistan. The procedure rules him out of the third Test, which is scheduled for September 9, 2026.

Curran had already sat out the first two Tests of the Pakistan series. The groin complaint had previously kept him away from IPL 2026, and he had been eased back into competitive cricket as a specialist batter during the T20 Blast while the injury was being managed under medical supervision. The decision to proceed with surgery has now been taken, ending that rehabilitation path.

England’s Pakistan Test series got under way on August 19, 2026, and Curran had been in the frame as a potential selection for the third match before the operation was confirmed.

Why was Sam Curran being considered for the third Test?

England selector Marcus North had spoken publicly about Curran’s value to the Test setup in the context of Ben Stokes’ retirement from the format. Stokes had given England a particular all-round balance that the selectors were keen to replicate, and North confirmed that the backroom staff and medical team had been actively monitoring Curran’s fitness with the third Test in mind.

“With the retirement of Ben Stokes, it’s quite clear that he provided us with a certain balance in the team. Sam Curran is certainly a player of interest for us. He’s someone our backroom staff and medical team will be working with in the coming weeks to make sure that he potentially becomes an option in the third Test. He’s someone that we really value highly and we see playing a role in the future for us as an allrounder,” North said as quoted by The Independent.

Curran is an established presence in England’s white-ball squads, and the selectors had regarded the third Test as a credible window for him to re-enter the longest format. The surgery has closed that window for this series entirely.

What are England’s all-round options without Curran?

Curran’s absence leaves England without their primary candidate for the Stokes-shaped role heading into the final Test of the Pakistan series. The selectors had been building their planning around his potential availability, and that work must now be redirected elsewhere.

Fellow Surrey player Will Jacks has also been unavailable for County Championship cricket after having his appendix removed. Reports suggest Jacks could return for England’s white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which is set to conclude the men’s international home season, though his availability for those fixtures has not been formally confirmed.

England’s all-round options therefore remain unsettled as the third Test against Pakistan approaches, with both Curran and Jacks sidelined by separate medical procedures at the same point in the summer.