Curran replaces Finn in England squad

Seamer Tom Curran has been added to England's Magellan Ashes squad after Steven Finn was ruled out of the tour of Australia with a knee injury.

Finn, himself a late replacement for the absent Ben Stokes, has been diagnosed with a torn cartilage in his left knee and will head back to England for a possible operation.

Curran, 22, was next in line and the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced he will fly to Australia on Wednesday.

A son of the late Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin Curran, Tom has played a single one-day international and three Twenty20 internationals but is yet to make his Test debut.

The right-armer, who the Hobart Hurricanes recently signed as their second overseas player for this summer's KFC Big Bash League season, took 24 wickets at 34.66 for Surrey in the First Division of the County Championship last season, while averaging a useful 27.44 with the bat.

Image Id: 47B54EDB091647BBA5680B8EFCE1C755 Image Caption: Curran celebrates the wicket of Gayle on ODI debut // Getty

"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."

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.

Finn only made the current tour when he was added to the squad in place of the suspended Stokes, whose involvement remains in the balance as the ECB conduct an internal disciplinary inquiry and await the outcome of a police probe into his involvement in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub on September 25.

Tuesday's announcement ended another miserable tour of Australia for Finn, though contrary to some reports he did not suffer the injury after hitting himself or a ball into his knee.

"I twisted it (his knee) when picking up the ball to throw it back to the net-bowler," Finn told The Telegraph.

The Middlesex quick was dropped midway through England's victorious Ashes campaign of 2010/11 and left the previous 2013/14 trip under a cloud when then limited-overs coach Ashley Giles declared him "unselectable".

England coach Trevor Bayliss told reporters in Adelaide on Tuesday: "He (Finn) had an injection a couple of days ago which they thought would help." 

But the ECB statement confirming Finn was out of the tour said he would "return to the UK in the next 48 hours where he will meet a knee specialist to ascertain whether he will have an operation".

The first Test between England and Australia starts at Brisbane on November 23.

Key allrounder Moeen Ali meanwhile continues to recover from a side injury, having last week been ruled out of England's tour matches at the WACA over the weekend and against the Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide beginning Wednesday.

He is expected to resume training ahead of England's final tour match in Townsville next week.

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21