“It’s all pretty surreal right now”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Surrey pace bowler Tom Curran has been included in England’s squad for the ODI series against the West Indies as a cover for fellow seamer Jake Ball.

Ball injured his knee during England’s warm-up game against the West Indian Cricket Board President’s XI in St Kitts on Monday and is now due to undergo scans to find out how severe the injury is.

Curran has been in action for the England Lions as of late and has impressed with the ball in the two unofficial Tests against Sri Lanka A, taking 10 wickets in total.

“It’s all pretty surreal right now,” Curran said. “But I’m giddy, I can’t wait to get out there.”

The 21-year-old, who was born in Cape Town, revealed that he got the news early in the morning and initially thought it was nothing important.

“I woke up about half past four and saw I had a message from [national selector] James Whitaker on my phone,” he said. “I thought I’d give it a quick read, and he’d be saying well done on the series, and I wasn’t thinking very clearly at that time in the morning.

“But then I saw the words ‘West Indies’ and I was awake then, to say the least! I read it a few times, couldn’t quite come to grips with it, trying to pinch myself to wake up. Put it this way, I couldn’t get back to sleep. So, thanks again for the message, James!”

Curran added that his younger brother Sam, who is also involved in the series against Sri Lanka A, was the first person he told about his call-up to the national team.

“I waited until 7, and he wasn’t very pleased to be woken up. It’s our first day off,” he said. “But he understood when I told him, and he was as excited as me.”

Meanwhile, England assistant coach Paul Farbrace has admitted that it is unlikely opening batsman Alex Hales will play any part in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies.

Hales recently recovered from a broken bone in his right hand, but Farbrace pointed out that there is a very slim chance he could feature in the third ODI.

“He is very unlikely to play in the first game,” Farbrace said. “I don’t think he will figure in Antigua. He has a chance, if at all, [for the final match] in Barbados but he will have to work a lot to prove he is 100 per cent fit. There’s no point in rushing him.”