England's Tom Curran takes break from red-ball cricket

England cricketer Tom Curran has decided to take an indefinite break from Test cricket to concentrate on his physical and mental well-being.

Curran has represented England in 28 one-day internationals and two Tests.

He will be joining Islamabad United for the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after most recently playing for the Desert Vipers in the International League T20 (ILT20).

The all-rounder has experienced recent injury issues.

"The last couple of years have not been easy for me. I have had a lot of time and this isn't a decision that I've taken lightly," the 27-year-old said.

"Some choices in life I don't think you will ever be 100 per cent sure and this is definitely one of those. But where I find myself at this exact moment, I feel like it is the right decision for my body and for my mental health."

However, the all-rounder said he is not "ruling out playing red-ball cricket again in the future" and believes he has "unfinished business" in the longest format of the game.

"I know it is not ideal news for everyone at Surrey and our fans. But I wanted to say a truly heartfelt thank you to (director of cricket) Alec Stewart for the support and understanding of my decision," he added.

"Surrey has given me everything and is my home. I love it very much and my hope is everyone else will see and understand my decision as he has done. I look forward to being back at the Kia Oval in the Summer for the Vitality Blast."

In September 2022, he played his final County Championship match against Lancashire. Earlier in the year, he hit his first-ever first-class century off just 85 balls against Northamptonshire.

He hasn't played in a Test since Australia beat England by an innings and 123 runs in Sydney in January 2018, when he scored 39 and 23 not out in addition to capturing one wicket.

It should be mentioned here that Curran was picked by two-time PSL champions Islamabad United in the Replacement Draft.

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