Craig Overton has been named the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s men’s player of the year after an outstanding domestic season for Somerset, and the all-rounder says the honour only sharpens his push for a Craig Overton England recall. The 32-year-old took 53 wickets, the third-best return in Division One, and scored 734 runs including three hundreds as Somerset finished second in the County Championship.
Overton has not played for England since 2022, when he won the last of his 15 caps across eight Tests and seven one-day internationals. He confirmed he has had no contact with anyone about a return to the international set-up, despite the weight of his form this summer.
Primary Source Attribution & Official Details
Speaking on the Test Match Special podcast after collecting his award, detailed in the BBC Sport interview, Overton was clear that selection is not in his hands. “If I’m good enough they’ll pick me and at the minute they’re not quite doing that and that’s their prerogative and they see their side going in a different way, which is fine,” he said.
He added that his focus stays on performance rather than outcome. “For me it’s just putting in performances and making their decisions as hard as possible,” he said. The honour itself capped a strong year for Overton, a PCA award victory that reflects his all-round influence for Somerset this summer.
He has not lost sight of what an England return would mean to him. “Any kid’s dream is to play for England and I’m no exception,” he said, before reflecting on his previous caps. “I’ve had a little taste of it and enjoyed it but it’s also a challenge at the same time.”
Squad Impact & Tactical Context
Overton’s numbers explain why Somerset pushed so close to the Championship title. Few players in the country combined bat and ball the way he did, taking wickets with the new ball and the old while adding three centuries from the middle order. That balance made him close to irreplaceable in Somerset’s run to second place.
A Craig Overton England recall would rest on exactly that combination: wickets and runs delivered in the same campaign, for a side competing at the top of the table. Overton himself is careful not to overstate his position. He has had no contact from the England set-up and is not treating the award as a signal that one is coming.
Instead, he frames his ambition around what he can control. “It’s something that I want to get back into but for me it’s putting a performance in for my county and for every team that I’m playing for and if the call-up comes, the call-up comes,” he said.
What Happens Next / Upcoming Timeline
Overton’s immediate focus moves away from England entirely. He is part of the Big Bash campaign signing that will see him line up for the Melbourne Stars this winter, continuing a heavy year of cricket on the back of his Somerset workload.
There is no indication of when, or whether, England’s selectors will turn to him again, and Overton has repeated that no approach has been made. For now, his plan stays simple: keep performing for whoever he is playing for, and let the decision sit with the selectors.
