England turn to Curran as third Pakistan Test comeback beckons

Sam Curran has missed out on selection for the first two Tests of England's upcoming home series against Pakistan due to fitness concerns, but national selector Marcus North confirmed he is in line for a potential recall for the third Test.

Post-Stokes Balance: Following Ben Stokes' retirement, England view Curran as an ideal seam-bowling all-rounder candidate to maintain structural balance in the team.

Fitness Concerns & Workload: Curran spent time out with a groin injury earlier in the season and has been managing minor niggles amid a heavy summer workload, including recently missing a match in The Hundred.

Targeting the 3rd Test: England's medical team will work with Curran over the coming weeks to build his fitness so he can potentially return for the third Test at Edgbaston starting September 9. Interim Squad Adjustments: With Curran unavailable for the opening games, Dan Lawrence has been brought in to bat at No. 6, while Jordan Cox is set to bat at No. 3 due to Jacob Bethell's knee injury.

Squad for the First Two Tests vs. Pakistan

Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.

Stephen Fleming, England's incoming head coach, will not take charge in the Pakistan series due to family commitments, with Marcus Trescothick named interim coach. But North said Fleming had "very much" been involved in selection from afar, along with Root, Trescothick and the rest of the selection panel.

"Absolutely, he was involved," North said. "He's been employed for the next four years, so we're going to make sure that our selection and our philosophies and thoughts around that are absolutely aligned with Stephen's. It would make no sense for us to move forward through this series and for it to be contradictory to where Stephen sees us as a team moving forward."

Fleming will take over when England tour South Africa for three Tests in December-January. They then travel to Bangladesh for two Tests in February and to Australia for the 150th anniversary Test at the MCG in March, before one home Test against Bangladesh in May leading into the Ashes in June and July.