New Delhi:
Uncapped all-rounder Sam Curran has been given a debut call-up in to the England squad for the second test against Pakistan as a cover for injured Ben Stokes, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.
Earlier, Stokes suffered a hamstring straing during fielding practice, but has not yet been ruled out of the second test match against Pakistan.
The 19-year-old Curran, a left-arm seamer plays for English club Surrey and has taken more than 100 first-class wickets, and has an average of 27.18 with the bat.
He was called up for the England's T-20 squad for the Tri-series in Australia and New Zealand, but did not play a single match. However, his brother Tom Curran, who was recently seen playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League 2018, played two tests in England's recent Ashes defeat in Australia.
After losing the first test at Lord's by a humiliating margin of nine wickets, veteran pacer James Anderson called on the team to show more fight in the final test of the series, which is set to be played at Headingley on Friday.
"It's going to take some special individual performances this week," Anderson told a leading English daily. "If you get one or two individuals standing up, then people can piggyback on that and take confidence as well.
"It's quite easy for the confidence of the team to take a hit when you have a defeat like that. So we'll try, as well as using our skill, to use our heart, to use the fight we have in the dressing room to show people what we can do."
