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England-born Curran wants to play for Zimbabwe
18 Sep 2024 at 08:14hrs | Views
England-born cricketer Ben Curran has once again expressed his desire to represent Zimbabwe at the international level, should the opportunity arise. The 28-year-old batter, son of the late Kevin Curran, a former Zimbabwe international and head coach, is eligible to play for Zimbabwe and remains open to the possibility of donning the red jersey.
Ben is the second eldest of the three Curran brothers, with his younger siblings Sam and Tom representing England and both having won World Cups. While his brothers have forged successful careers with England, Ben looks set to carve out a different path, one that honors his deep-rooted connection to Zimbabwe.
In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Ben reflected on his strong ties to Zimbabwe, having spent a significant portion of his childhood in the country. "What a story it would be, right? We will have to take that as it comes. If it were to happen, it would probably be pretty weird, special, mixed emotions all around," he said. "My connection to Zimbabwe is strong, with the fact I grew up and spent most of my childhood there with my parents being from there."
Ben recounted his early years in Zimbabwe after the family relocated when he was around five years old, following his father's playing stint with Northamptonshire. He attended school in Zimbabwe and spent most of his formative years there, cementing a lasting bond with the country.
Curran, who plays for the Rhinos in Zimbabwe's domestic cricket, had a strong 2023/24 Logan Cup season, finishing as the seventh leading run scorer with 458 runs in 12 innings, averaging 38.16 with a top score of 124. His performances have sparked hope that he could earn a call-up to the national team.
"I'm committed to being in Zimbabwe, but obviously in their winter, there's not too much cricket going on, so I've been playing club cricket in England as the overseas player," he explained, referring to his time playing for Wokingham in the English summer. Despite his dual connection, Curran remains determined to focus on Zimbabwean cricket and perform well enough to catch the attention of selectors.
"There's always a chance. I just have to go back and perform consistently, and that gives me the best opportunity. At the end of the day, it's results-based," he said, emphasizing that his goal is to control what he can and deliver his best on the field.
Ben Curran's cricketing journey has echoes of his father's career, including his stint with Northamptonshire, a club where Kevin Curran left a lasting legacy. "The fact that my dad played there for such a long period of time made it that bit more special," Ben noted. His connection to the club was further strengthened by the close relationship between the Curran family and Northamptonshire legends like Allan Lamb.
As he prepares for Zimbabwe's upcoming domestic season and his participation in the Zim Afro T10 league starting this Saturday, Ben remains hopeful that his performances will pave the way for him to follow in his father's footsteps and represent Zimbabwe at the highest level.
Ben is the second eldest of the three Curran brothers, with his younger siblings Sam and Tom representing England and both having won World Cups. While his brothers have forged successful careers with England, Ben looks set to carve out a different path, one that honors his deep-rooted connection to Zimbabwe.
In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Ben reflected on his strong ties to Zimbabwe, having spent a significant portion of his childhood in the country. "What a story it would be, right? We will have to take that as it comes. If it were to happen, it would probably be pretty weird, special, mixed emotions all around," he said. "My connection to Zimbabwe is strong, with the fact I grew up and spent most of my childhood there with my parents being from there."
Ben recounted his early years in Zimbabwe after the family relocated when he was around five years old, following his father's playing stint with Northamptonshire. He attended school in Zimbabwe and spent most of his formative years there, cementing a lasting bond with the country.
"I'm committed to being in Zimbabwe, but obviously in their winter, there's not too much cricket going on, so I've been playing club cricket in England as the overseas player," he explained, referring to his time playing for Wokingham in the English summer. Despite his dual connection, Curran remains determined to focus on Zimbabwean cricket and perform well enough to catch the attention of selectors.
"There's always a chance. I just have to go back and perform consistently, and that gives me the best opportunity. At the end of the day, it's results-based," he said, emphasizing that his goal is to control what he can and deliver his best on the field.
Ben Curran's cricketing journey has echoes of his father's career, including his stint with Northamptonshire, a club where Kevin Curran left a lasting legacy. "The fact that my dad played there for such a long period of time made it that bit more special," Ben noted. His connection to the club was further strengthened by the close relationship between the Curran family and Northamptonshire legends like Allan Lamb.
As he prepares for Zimbabwe's upcoming domestic season and his participation in the Zim Afro T10 league starting this Saturday, Ben remains hopeful that his performances will pave the way for him to follow in his father's footsteps and represent Zimbabwe at the highest level.
Source - The Chronicle
