EXCL: Allan Lamb praises godson and T20 World Cup hero Sam Curran after heroics Down Under

For Allan Lamb, Sam Curran’s role in England’s T20 World Cup win in Melbourne came as no surprise.

“When Sam came to Wellington College as a boy, I told the deputy head that he was going to play for England,” says Lamb. “If you give him a challenge, he will take it. He’s proven he can do anything.’

If Lamb, part of the England team that lost a World Cup final to Pakistan at the MCG 30 years ago, sounds proud, it’s because he has more than a passing interest in a player whose 13 wickets took Jos Buttler’s side to the victory helped.

Sam Curran won Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament after a stunning few weeks in Australia

Lamb, now 68, is Sam’s godfather, who was a teammate and close friend of Kevin Curran, Sam’s father, during their time together in Northamptonshire in the 1990s.

Kevin died suddenly in 2012, but Lamb has kept in touch with the family, including Sam’s brothers Tom, who has played 60 times for England in all formats, and Ben, who has opened for Northamptonshire.

“I’m very happy for Sam,” he told Sportsmail. “But I’m probably more enamored of KC, who looks down on everything. It is thanks to him that the boys got to where they are.

Allan Lamb praised the England all-rounder for his strong performances and mental determination

Lamb said his late friend and Curran’s father, Kevin, would have looked down on him

“They lived near us, and Sam was holding a golf club both right and left handed by the age of four. He probably has the most natural ability of all three. And he has such a level head. But they all have their father’s aggression, and KC would have been in Australia for sure. Sarah (Sam’s mother) was out there, but she came back before the end. I spoke to her on Sunday and she kicked herself. She’s such a proud mother.’

In his day, Kevin Curran – who represented his native Zimbabwe at the 1983 and 1987 World Cups – was one of the most combative all-rounders on the provincial circuit, and his progeny have served England well.

However, Lamb would now like to see the England test team make better use of Sam’s all-round ability. “He’s always been a batsman cum bowler to me, but England hasn’t seen it that way. If you asked him to hit number 6, he’d do a damn good job.

Curran produced a series of stunning performances in Australia that proved decisive for England

Kevin Curran, Sam’s father, was a tenacious and combative all-rounder on the provincial circuit

Ed Smith, who was the compiler of the selectors, came up to me shortly before Sam’s Test debut against Pakistan at Headingley in 2018, and I said, ‘Ed, he won’t let you down’.

“One hundred percent Sam should have been picked for the test tour of Pakistan. England has so many bowlers of the same type – they need something different. I would definitely take him to New Zealand in the new year. I’m sure they’ll choose him.’

The stiffness he generates from a non-imposing six-foot frame reminds Lamb of former West Indies great Malcolm Marshall. And he hopes to rev up Curran with a one-on-one session with Wasim Akram, king of the left-handers – and the man who thrillingly bowled Lamb as part of a match-winning burst in that 1992 final.

Lamb questioned Curran’s non-selection for the upcoming tour to Pakistan in December

The memory of that match led Lamb to contact Curran ahead of Sunday’s final. “I texted him saying please tell the guys to win it for us,” he laughs.

But Lamb is more excited about the future than about settling an old score. “The world has now seen that there is something special about this boy.”

It seems almost unsentimental to point out that, in cricket terms, 24-year-old Curran has just become a man.