PAK vs ENG: "The Maturity That He Has Been Showing Is Absolutely Fantastic"- Sunil Gavaskar Hails Sam Curran

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has hailed ICC T20 World Cup’s Man of the Tournament Sam Curran, addressing him as a great asset to any team with his bowling, batting, and fielding skills along with the maturity that he has shown during the tournament.

Curran’s development throughout the course of this year has been phenomenal. Prior to the start of 2022, he played 109 T20s, with an economy rate of 8.62 and a strike rate of 19.6 deliveries per innings.

His economy rate decreased to 7.86 in 36 games this year, and he hit every 14.9 deliveries. In the final overs of this World Cup, Curran bowled 64 balls and claimed nine wickets for an astounding total of just 70 runs.

Sunil Gavaskar Lauds Sam Curran

Sam Curran won the Player of the Tournament award and also Player of the Match award in the final of the mega event against Pakistan on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sunil Gavaskar in an interview with India Today talked about the England All-rounder and said:

“He really bowled well. He has come on really well as a cricketer. He is a terrific cricketer. He is not only a terrific new ball bowler, he can bat handily lower down the order, he is a very good fielder. So, he’s a great asset to any team. The maturity that he has been showing is absolutely fantastic. 

I think his spell where he took 3 wickets and did not concede so many runs, you got to doff your hat to him. When somebody bowls his four over at an economy rate of under 4, you can actually see how well he has bowled,” Gavaskar said.

Curran had already contributed to Pakistan falling behind  by demonstrating his adaptability to bowl effectively in all three stages. In his first two overs, he took 1 for 5, including the coveted victim Mohammad Rizwan. 

In those first two overs, he demonstrated his intelligence. Curran took use of the conditions available, standing the seam up and hitting accurate lengths without attempting too many variations in pace, while Chris Woakes attempted eight slower balls that cost 15 runs. 

Sam Curran Showcase Death Bowling Masterclass

If Pakistan’s hitters had averaged just 10 runs per over, England would have needed 160 runs to win on the challenging MCG surface when he came out to bowl two of the final four overs. 

Instead, Sam Curran was the only bowler on either team to not allow a boundary, taking 2 for 7 in 12 deliveries to finish with 3 for 12 in the World Cup final with 15 dot balls. Both Masood and Mohammad Nawaz holed out to deep midwicket, following the straightforward strategy of forcing Pakistan’s batters to smash to the long square boundaries.

Pakistan struggled to 137 for 8, far short of the required total. But given the significance of Curran’s performance, England might not have won the championship had they merely had to chase 10 runs more.

Also Read:PAK vs ENG: Sam Curran Admits IPL Helped Him To Deliver On Big Occasions