Five things about Tom Curran

28 February 2017 04:08

Tom Curran has been added to England's one-day international squad for their tour of the West Indies.

Here, we list five things you may not know about the Surrey paceman, who will act as cover for the injured Jake Ball.

1 Cape Town-born Curran, elder brother and Surrey team-mate of teenage all-rounder Sam, is another in the long line of England call-ups of South African origin. His little brother was born in Northampton.

2 Most cricket followers will be well aware Tom and Sam are the sons of the late former Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin, who played with great distinction for Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire in a near 20-year first-class career. Fewer may be aware that the Currans' cricketing dynasty began a generation earlier when Tom's grandfather Kevin senior (Kevin is also Tom's middle name) played seven matches for what was then Rhodesia between 1947 and 1955. The 20-year-old middle Curran brother, Ben, played regularly as a batsman for Surrey 2nds and MCC Young Cricketers last summer.

3 Tom is a Chelsea supporter, like former Surrey team-mate Kevin Pietersen. He used to sport a ponytail haircut reminiscent of a big name from a rival club, Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Curran was persuaded by Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart - renowned in his own England days for always being immaculately turned out - to chop the locks.

4 He made his first-class debut on April Fool's Day 2014 - against Cambridge University at Fenner's, where his first contribution was a second-ball duck. The laugh has rarely been on Curran since, though - his maiden five-wicket haul followed in his fifth county championship match, and he took 76 towards Surrey's promotion the next summer as he and Sam shared all 10 in the first innings against one of their dad's old clubs Northamptonshire to help seal the Division Two title.

5 He will be 22 on March 12, three days after England's final one-day international against West Indies in Barbados. By the time his birthday comes round, he may have three full international caps to celebrate.

Source: PA