Pace bowler Brydon Carse has been removed from England's squad for the second Test against Pakistan as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) refers an incident to the Cricket Regulator for investigation. The events occurred on Saturday night in Derby, the same city where Carse had played for Durham earlier that day.
Images that circulated on social media showed Carse, 31, in handcuffs outside a bar. While it is understood he was not arrested, the ECB stated that the Cricket Regulator will investigate the matter. Consequently, Carse will not be available for selection for the upcoming Test match, and Sonny Baker has been called in as his replacement.
The incident comes after Carse was released from the England squad for the first Test, which England won by an innings, to play for Durham. Following his team's victory, he was involved in the incident outside the bar. The player was released without charge, but the timing of the event, less than 48 hours before he was due to join the England squad in London, led to his exclusion from the team.
This is the latest in a series of off-field issues for the England team this summer. Carse is the third player to miss a Test due to disciplinary matters. In June, Test players Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were given written warnings after an incident in a London nightclub. Prior to that, Harry Brook was involved in an altercation outside a nightclub in Wellington, and Ben Duckett was filmed seemingly intoxicated during England's Ashes holiday in Noosa.
These incidents led to the reintroduction of a team curfew, which was later relaxed when Joe Root took over as captain. Root had previously emphasized the importance of players being positive role models, stating, "You always want to represent your country in the best possible light." He acknowledged that the team had "fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past."
Carse has been a significant bowler for England across formats since making his Test debut in October 2024. No England bowler has taken more wickets than his 58 in Test matches since that debut. Earlier in the summer of 2024, Carse also received a three-month ban for historical betting offenses before rebuilding his career to become a regular member of the England team.