Having been eliminated from the ODI tri-series after three consecutive defeats in Pakistan, England have once again been left soul-searching a year out from a World Cup. At the centre of their problems is Sam Curran – their ultimate solutions man.
On paper, Sam Curran came out well from England’s miserable defeat to Pakistan. He scored 42 in a 93-run partnership with Will Jacks coming in at 52-4, and went at fours in his eight overs with the ball.
The problem, however, lies in the wickets column. Having bowled four overs after the opening powerplay while wickets were falling, Curran was brought back on in the 40th over, with Pakistan nine down. While Shadab Khan was well set, one ball would have sealed England a crucial win. Curran did not look likely at any point to be the one to produce that one magic delivery. Instead, he was picked off by Shadab, who was able to take singles at the end of his overs to retain the strike and not expose Harris Rauf to Gus Atkinson – England’s most likely wicket-taker – at the other end.
It’s not entirely fair to pick that particular spell as typical of Curran’s ODI returns. He was decent at the death in England’s opening match of the tri-series, and was effective in that role against India over the summer. The tri-series and England’s selection in it, however, have created a perfect storm which Curran is currently at the centre of.
England chose to rest Jofra Archer, instead rotating through Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sonny Baker and Henry Crocombe. Atkinson and Baker are both likely to be around the side which will compete in the World Cup next year. On Baker and Crocombe however, the jury is still out. Archer is the most important piece of England’s ODI pace attack, combining speed and control with the nous needed as a 10-over banker. Dropping Adil Rashid for the second and third ODIs has sharpened the hole Archer has left. Without well-executed pace and mystery spin, they lack both reliability and X-factor.
Those absences leave Curran exposed. He was effective in the summer as a death-specialist when he had the freedom to bowl high-risk variations – chucking slower balls wide outside the off-stump and varying his pace. On a flat track in Rawalpindi, Curran cannot bowl those variations without being whacked. And without the skill and difference both Archer and Rashid offer as England’s other premier bowlers at the end of the innings, there’s no respite.
Perhaps Curran shouldn’t have been put in the position where he’s forced to bowl the bulk of a 10-over spell in conditions which set him up for failure. Too often in Curran’s career, England have tried to force him into a like-for-like replacement for Ben Stokes, as a proper all-rounder and player they can turn to in times of trouble in both disciplines. Curran isn’t that, and nor in recent years has he tried to be. But, England are now in a position where they can’t drop him, even when his performances don’t warrant being retained.
Having been dropped from both of England’s white-ball squads at the end of 2024, Curran banged the door down in franchise T20 leagues for the following nine months. He was recalled for the T20I series against South Africa at the end of the 2025 summer as part of an experimental squad against Ireland. His regeneration as a proper middle-order batter and wildcard powerplay bowler convinced England to recall him to the ODI side for the winter series in New Zealand.
In that series, Curran operated alongside Jacob Bethell as England’s fifth bowler. That balance of six proper batters, Curran and four frontline bowlers was hammered 3-0 – although being bowled out for under 230 in three consecutive matches was their greater problem. A change in balance this summer looked healthier, with Bethell moved up to open, and Will Jacks included as a second all-rounder to provide more options with the ball without compromising on batting power.
Could Sam Curran be England's Ben Stokes replacement in the Test side, or a potential white-ball captaincy candidate? 🏴 🤝 @Melbourne https://t.co/OBiRc7vwdt
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 8, 2026
By picking two all-rounders, England avoided the problem they had during the Champions Trophy, where they stacked their batting and compromised by going in without a backup bowler, relying on Liam Livingstone to bowl a full quota. The Curran-Jacks compromise is, in theory, a better option, both batters capable of moving up the order when required, and both with 10 overs in them. Curran also breaks up a steady stream of right-handers in both facets.
However, the promise Curran’s effectiveness in the shorter format brings is better than the reality. Since he was recalled a year ago, Curran has averaged 17.5 with the bat, and 40.3 with the ball. The difference between his batting average and his bowling average is -22.8, the second-worst of any player who has taken 10 wickets and scored 100 runs in the same time period. Even if England wanted to, though, dropping him would put them straight back into their familiar muddle.
Jacks could well be the all-round solution England have been searching for to balance their ODI unit. But, without Curran, replacing him with an extra batter would leave them in the same position they were in New Zealand, using Bethell as a sixth bowler. Replacing Curran with an extra pacer would leave their batting brittle, and likely force them to keep leaving out Rashid in favour of padding out their batting order with Liam Dawson. Playing all three spinners would be the most tempting option, although less attractive on World Cup pitches in South Africa. Whichever way you fudge it, it doesn’t look quite right.
England have invested too much in Curran to lose faith now. The hope is that the role he plays so effectively in T20 leagues, a powerplay wicket-taker and middle-order game-changer – he can also make work across 50 overs. When Archer comes back, and if England can find a way to fit Rashid in, Curran may well find success again with the pressure taken off. But, the team that’s been selected for the tri-series has hung him out to dry, and forced him to try and be the reliable banker England already know he isn’t.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
