Dream call-up for Curran as Finn ruled out of Ashes

0 Tom Curran will fly to Australia today to join the England squad. Uncapped Surrey seamer Tom Curran has been added to England’s Ashes squad after Steven Finn was ruled out of the tour.

Finn, himself a late replacement for the absent Ben Stokes, has been diagnosed with torn cartilage in his left knee and will head back to England for a possible operation.

Curran is next in line and the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced he will fly to Australia today.

In a video posted on Surrey’s official Twitter feed, Curran revealed he was dozing when the career-changing news came his way.

“I was sleeping to be honest. I saw a couple of missed calls when I woke up, so I’ve just heard the news and I’m very excited,” he said. “I’m very proud, very humbled… it’s been a rollercoaster, a year I’ll never forget.”

Curran, 22, has long been considered a rising star of the county game and made his first steps into international cricket this summer, appearinginthreet20sandaone-day international against the West Indies.

He took 24 wickets in Division One of the Specsavers County Championship at 34.66 as well as averaging a handy 27.44 with the bat. Liam Plunkett, a mainstay of the white ball set-up but not seen in the Test arena since winning the last of his 13 caps in 2014, and Mark Wood, set to travel Down Under with the England Lions as he battles back from a heel injury, were other viable options.

Curran will link up with the side in Adelaide, where Joe Root’s team are facing a Cricket Australia XI from today.

Moeen Ali will play no part in that as he recovers from a minor side injury and the allrounder trained alone on the eve of the day-night match. He remains on course to be fit in time for the opening Test in Brisbane.