Brydon Carse has been removed from England’s squad for the second Test against Pakistan following an incident in Derby. The pace bowler was briefly arrested and subsequently de-arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly on Saturday night.
Images circulating on social media on Sunday showed Carse, 31, in handcuffs outside a bar in Derby. Derbyshire Police confirmed the arrest and de-arrest, stating the man agreed to leave the area.
Investigation Underway
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has referred the incident to the Cricket Regulator, which will conduct an investigation. As a result, Carse has been replaced in the squad by Sonny Baker.
An ECB statement confirmed, “Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator have confirmed that they will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby. Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the second men’s Test while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained.”
Carse had been part of the England squad for the first Test against Pakistan, which England won at Headingley. He was released to play for Durham against Derbyshire, a match Durham won on Saturday evening. The incident occurred less than 48 hours before Carse was scheduled to join the England squad in London for the second Test at Lord’s.
Footage of the incident reportedly showed Carse in handcuffs outside a bar in Derby. According to sources, he had been denied re-entry to the bar after leaving following an “exchange of words” with another member of the public who spilled a drink on him.
Durham teammate Matthew Potts and former England captain Ben Stokes were also present at the scene. While Stokes has retired from international cricket, he, along with Potts and Carse, remains under central contract with the ECB.
Previous Incidents and Policy Changes
This marks the latest in a series of off-field incidents involving England players this summer, making Carse the third player to miss a Test due to a disciplinary issue. In June, Stokes and Gus Atkinson missed the second Test against New Zealand after an incident in a London nightclub where a member of England’s security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player. Both players received a written warning regarding their conduct.
The incident involving Stokes and Atkinson occurred while an England team curfew, introduced after late-night incidents during the winter, was in place. Other past incidents include Harry Brook being punched by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Wellington and Ben Duckett being filmed inebriated during England’s Ashes holiday in Noosa.
Upon beginning his second spell as England captain, Joe Root removed the team’s curfew and relaxed guidelines for players regarding alcohol consumption around matches and in public. The Carse situation comes shortly after Root had called on his players to be “really good role models and good human beings.”
Root stated, “You always want to represent your country in the best possible light. We might have fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past. The only thing we can do to rectify that is be really good role models, good human beings and put in really strong performances on the field.”
He has since rebuilt his career, becoming a regular for England across formats. Carse has taken a number of wickets.
Carse’s omission provides an opportunity for Baker, who earned his only Test cap in June against New Zealand.
Source: bbc.co.uk