BRIDGETOWN — This Saturday at the Kensington Oval, Scotland’s left-arm seamer Brad Currie will look to swing the new ball past the bat of Jos Buttler or Phil Salt. It will be the biggest moment of his cricketing career, opening the bowling against England in the T20 World Cup. Yet, for thousands of fans online, Currie is already known for a very different kind of expertise: navigating the treacherous waters of Fantasy Premier League.
Brad Currie, 25, is not just a promising international cricketer; he is also ‘FPL Currie’, a respected fantasy football blogger and content creator with a dedicated following. In a unique crossover of sporting passions, Currie has managed to build a second career as an FPL analyst, offering weekly tips, team reveals, and data-driven insights while simultaneously pursuing professional cricket.
From the Cricket Pitch to the FPL Template
Currie’s journey into the FPL blogosphere began during the COVID-19 pandemic. With cricket on hold and time on his hands, he dove deeper into the game he had played casually for years. His analytical mind, honed on dissecting batting techniques and bowling plans, found a new outlet in forecasting Premier League returns and navigating price changes. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a serious pursuit.
He launched a Twitter account and a blog, sharing his thoughts with a clarity and statistical backing that resonated. His profile grew, leading to regular appearances on popular FPL podcasts and YouTube streams. Remarkably, he has balanced this with his cricketing duties for Sussex and Scotland. Teammates are well aware of his alter-ego. As Scotland batter Michael Leask joked, “We all know about it. If you need an FPL tip, he’s your man. Just don’t ask him during a training session!”
Juggling Two High-Pressure Worlds
The schedule demands are immense. A typical day during the English summer might involve a morning training session with Sussex, followed by an afternoon crafting an FPL article or recording a podcast, and then an evening checking team news from across Europe. During the World Cup, the challenge is even greater. Currie must focus entirely on his cricket while his FPL audience eagerly awaits his take on the new Premier League fixtures.
He admits the two pursuits feed into each other. The discipline required for professional sport translates to diligent FPL research. Conversely, the pressure of a public FPL team—where every transfer is scrutinized by thousands—mirrors the pressure of bowling at the death in a tight T20 match. “They’re both games of fine margins and calculated risk,” Currie has said in interviews.
His approach to FPL is methodical, much like his bowling. He focuses on key principles that any manager, or athlete, can appreciate:
- Long-term planning: Avoiding point-chasing for a structured season strategy.
- Data over emotion: Trusting underlying statistics like expected goals (xG) over gut feeling.
- Controlled aggression: Knowing when to take a calculated punt on a differential player.
The Ultimate Differential: Brad Currie Himself
For the FPL community, having a current international cricketer in their midst is the ultimate differential. His insights come with a unique perspective on athlete mentality and preparation. He often draws parallels, discussing the ‘form’ of an FPL asset in the same way a coach would discuss a batter’s confidence. His team name, ‘Go Well’, is a nod to the common cricketing well-wish.
The support flows both ways. During Scotland’s tense group stage match against Namibia, which was decided by a last-ball thriller, the FPL community rallied behind their blogger. Social media was flooded with messages of support not just for Scotland, but specifically for Currie. “Seeing #FPLFamily cheering on my cricket was incredibly humbling and surreal,” he posted afterwards.
A New Kind of Sporting Role Model
Currie represents a new breed of modern athlete—one who is openly a fan of other sports and engages directly with global fan communities. He breaks the traditional mold, showing that a professional athlete’s identity can be multifaceted. In an era where players are often guarded, his openness about his FPL passion is refreshing. It provides a relatable bridge between the elite world of international sport and the living-room passion of millions of fantasy managers.
His story is particularly poignant ahead of the England-Scotland clash. While English fans see a rival bowler, a niche of informed supporters see a fellow fantasy manager. As one fan put it on Twitter, “I want England to win, but I also need Currie to get a wicket for my #FPLCricket side. Conflict!”
The coming weeks will be a whirlwind. After the World Cup, the European football championships will offer a brief fantasy respite before the relentless engine of the Premier League and FPL starts again in August. Currie will then face his own version of a double-game week: managing his recovery from a global tournament while simultaneously preparing his FPL content for the new season.
For now, all focus is on Barbados. But one thing is certain: whether he’s analysing Erling Haaland’s fitness or plotting the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow, Brad Currie has proven that expertise and passion are not confined to a single field. He is a testament to the modern sporting spirit, where the lines between player, analyst, and fan are beautifully, and successfully, blurred.