The Ashes 2017-2018: England’s Steve Finn sent home with injury as Tom Curran gets call up

THE uncapped Tom Curran’s selection to replace injured paceman Steve Finn for the Ashes has sparked concerns about England’s bowling inexperience.

Tom Curran is heading to Australia for the Ashes.

THE uncapped Tom Curran’s selection to replace injured paceman Steve Finn for the Ashes has sparked concerns about England’s bowling inexperience.

Curran, 22, will fly to Australia this week after Finn’s campaign was deemed over before it began due to a knee injury.

Surrey’s Curran has played international Twenty20 and one-day cricket but no Tests for England, contributing strongly to the second-tier England Lions in 2017.

He finished the County Championship season with 24 wickets from nine matches at an average of 34.66.

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Steve Finn’s exit is another blow for the tourists.

“I’m very proud and humbled,” Curran told the Surrey website.

“It’s been a real roller-coaster of a year, but a year I will never forget, and I am so excited to travel out to Australia. I’m very privileged to be experiencing this.

“It is a very proud day and I can’t wait to get out there with the England and Surrey players.”

Finn, who was injured while training in Perth last week, joins on the sidelines fellow proven Ashes fast bowling performer Mark Wood, who’s not being considered due to fitness concerns.

It leaves England with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes as the only pacemen with Ashes experience, with the latter having played one Test.

Former England Test quick Chris Tremlett tweeted his concerns following the absence of Finn, who had taken 28 Australian wickets in seven matches.

Delighted for TC on his call up to test squad but England are definitely lacking experience in the bowling department. 🤔

— Chris Tremlett (@ChrisTremlett33) November 7, 2017

Tall seamer Finn, who was a late call-up to the touring squad to replace allrounder Ben Stokes, has torn cartilage in his left knee.

Vice-captain Stokes remains in England awaiting the outcome of a police investigation into his role in a fight outside a nightclub in September ahead of the first Test in Brisbane starting on November 23.

England meet a Cricket Australia XI in a day-night match at Adelaide Oval from Wednesday to Saturday.

Spinner Moeen Ali has also been ruled out of the tour game after suffering a side strain last week in Perth.

England coach Trevor Bayliss expects Ali to be fit for the next tour game, in Townsville from November 15.