All-rounder had been suggested as Stokes replacement

Curran will undergo surgery on Friday

A Test comeback is on hold for Sam Curran after the all-rounder was ruled out of the rest of the English summer with a groin injury. Curran is an option England are considering as they figure out life after Ben Stokes.

Marcus North, the men’s national selector, said the left-arm seamer was a “player of real value for us” when naming the squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan this month; Curran was left out of that 16-man group as he was not considered fully fit.