"I feel like this is the right decision for my body and mental health" - Tom Curran announces indefinite break from red-ball cricket

England bowling all-rounder Tom Curran has decided to take a break from red-ball cricket to focus on his physical and mental health.

The pacer has decided to step away from the longer format to concentrate more on limited-overs cricket. The 27-year-old, however, has not ruled out a potential return to red-ball cricket in the future.

Curran explained his choice by saying that the previous two years have been difficult for him. The speedster indicated that he wants to focus solely on the Vitality T20 Blast this year as he does not believe his body is fully prepared for the County Championship matches.

Surrey Cricket took to social media to share an official statement regarding the announcement on Wednesday, February 1.

"The last couple of years have not been easy for me," Curran said. "I have had a lot of time and this isn’t a decision that I’ve taken lightly. Some choices in life I don’t think you will ever be 100% sure and this is definitely one of those. But where I find myself at this exact moment, I feel like it is the right decision for my body and for my mental health."

"I’m definitely not ruling 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," he added. "But until I can feel 100% committed and confident in my body to be performing day in and day out for Surrey in the County Championship, I feel that putting all my time and focus into on our Vitality Blast campaign this year is the right thing to do."

Notably, Curran has featured in a number of franchise-based T20 leagues in recent years. The fast bowler has bagged six wickets from seven matches while playing for the Desert Vipers in the ongoing inaugural season of the UAE's International League T20 (ILT20).

The talented bowler is also set to play in his first-ever season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He will ply trade for Islamabad United in the upcoming edition, which begins on February 13.

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"I fully support the decision" - Alec Stewart on Tom Curran's desire to focus on white-ball cricket

Alec Stewart, Surrey's director of cricket, admitted that losing a player like Tom Curran is likely to have a big impact on the team in the County Championship.

The former England keeper-batter stated that he had spoken to the all-rounder regarding the decision. He also noted how the bowler has had to deal with multiple injuries in the recent past.

Stewart added that he supports Curran's call and suggested that it could help him prolong his cricketing career.

"Obviously, when you lose a player of Tom’s quality from your County Championship squad it is a blow, but I have spoken to him at length about his decision and understand why he has made it," he elaborated.

"He has suffered with injuries in recent years and if this can help strengthen his body and keep him on a cricket field more regularly over the coming years, I fully support the decision. I look forward to seeing him back in May for our own T20 season," he added.

Curran was on the sidelines for several months last year due to a stress fracture. The South African-born England pacer, who made his red-ball debut against Australia in 2017, has featured in just two Test matches so far in his international career.

He was part of England's ODI World Cup-winning squad in 2019. However, he didn't get a chance to play a single match and warmed the bench for the entire campaign.