England has officially withdrawn pacer Brydon Carse from the squad for the upcoming second Test match against Pakistan. The decision follows an ongoing investigation by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) into an incident involving the 31-year-old, who was reportedly seen in handcuffs outside a nightclub in Derby last Saturday.
The ECB confirmed that the Cricket Regulator is currently handling the inquiry. In a formal statement, the board noted, “Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the Second Men’s Rothesay Test Match while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained.” Sonny Baker has been called up as his replacement for the Lord’s fixture, which is scheduled to begin this Thursday, August 27.
Carse had been released to participate in domestic cricket last week, where he contributed to Durham’s 338-run victory over Derbyshire in the County Championship. He was released alongside teammates Shoaib Bashir, Sam Cook, Matthew Fisher, and Ollie Pope, having not been included in the Playing XI for the first Test, which England won by an innings and 103 runs.
This development mirrors previous disciplinary actions taken by the board, including instances earlier this summer where captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson were sidelined while investigations into separate nightclub-related incidents were conducted. The ECB has not provided further specifics regarding the nature of the current situation involving Carse.
