Surrey and England all-rounder Tom Curran is due to take a break from red-ball cricket to ‘prioritize his physical and mental health’.
The 27-year-old, who has played two Tests for England, will focus on his limited commitments, having suffered several injuries.
Curran currently plays for the Desert Vipers in the T20 International League.
He also played for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred and won 58 caps in one day and Twenty20 for England.
His last County Championship appearance was against Lancashire in September 2022 and earlier in the season he scored his first class first century with just 85 balls against Northamptonshire.
He hasn’t played a Test since January 2018, when he scored 39 and 23 not knocked out – as well as a wicket – as Australia beat England by an innings and 123 runs in Sydney.
“The last two years haven’t been easy for me. I’ve had a lot of time and it’s not a decision I took lightly,” said Curran, brother of the all-rounder Sam. told the Surrey website.
“Some choices in life I don’t think you’ll ever be 100% sure about and this is definitely one of them. But where I am at this exact moment, I feel like it’s the right decision for my body and for my mental health.
“I certainly wouldn’t rule out playing red ball cricket again in the future, and I feel like I have unfinished business in this format for both Surrey and England.
“But until I can feel 100 per cent committed and confident in my body to play day in and day out for Surrey in the County Championship, I think devoting all my time and focus to our Vitality Blast campaign this year is the right thing to do.”
Curran, who will soon join Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, has also played in the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash.
“Obviously when you lose a player of Tom’s quality from your county championship team it’s a big blow, but I spoke to him at length about his decision and I understand why he made it,” said Surrey cricket manager Alec Stewart.
“He has struggled with injuries for the past few years and if it helps to strengthen his body and keep him on the cricket pitch more consistently over the next few years, I fully support the decision.”
