THE FABULOUS CURRAN BROTHERS: WE WANT TO PLAY TESTS TOGETHER

THE dream of becoming the first brothers to play Test cricket together for England since the Hollioakes is motivating Tom and Sam Curran as they endure being apart during lockdown. Both Currans should have been playing in the Indian Premier League right now — Sam with Chennai Super Kings and Tom with Rajasthan Royals — but instead are going through the rare experience of separation during a cricket season, with Tom at his London flat and Sam at his girlfriend’s family home in Somerset. They were reunited yesterday via conference call to talk about their big ambition to play alongside each other in Test cricket and how they are keeping busy with a Surrey initiative of engaging with elderly and vulnerable supporters while being out of action. ‘It would be amazing to play Tests with Sam, that’s definitely a huge aim of ours,’ said elder brother Tom, 25, who was a member of England’s World Cupwinning squad last year but has been restricted to just two Test appearances. ‘I’ve definitely still got big Test ambitions. It’s a tough one because I’ve been playing so much white-ball over the last few years but now it’s a case of trying to get that balance between white and red-ball cricket, developing my skills and awaiting my chance.’ Tom’s hopes were echoed by Sam, who, at 21, has now earned a regular place in England’s Test side while struggling to fully establish himself in other formats. ‘The dream is to be playing all formats together,’ said Sam. ‘We have played a couple of one-day games together and hopefully, as the years go on, we will both be regulars in all formats. Any game you play for England is a great privilege but playing with your brother gives it that extra special feeling.’ Adam and Ben Hollioake, also of Surrey, made their Test debuts in the same game against Australia in the 1997 Ashes and would have played many more times together had the younger brother, Ben, not tragically died in a car accident in 2002 aged just 24. Their successors as brothers playing together at the Oval took time during this enforced period of inactivity to engage with Surrey supporters in one of the many community projects cricketers are using as a force for good during the coronavirus crisis. ‘It was a lovely initiative that someone at Surrey organised and got the players and staff involved in,’ said Tom. ‘We called supporters and there was also a Surrey trivia quiz where we asked them questions about the club. It was really refreshing to chat and see how life was going for them and just try to put a smile on some people’s faces.’ And the Surrey players clearly faced an interrogation. ‘It was a cool thing to do because we don’t usually get to speak to the members much,’ added Sam. ‘A lot of the older ones had a lot of opinions on the games we were missing and what formats we should focus on when we come back. It was quite entertaining.’