England have dropped Brydon Carse from their squad for the second Test against Pakistan while an investigation into an incident at a nightclub in Derby is ongoing.
Carse was seen in handcuffs outside Molly Malone’s Tavern in Derby city centre on Saturday night, shortly after Durham’s 338-run County Championship win over Derbyshire. The 31-year-old fast bowler was seen being spoken to by police officers and was reportedly in handcuffs for a few minutes. He was not arrested or charged.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has referred the incident to the Cricket Regulator, which will investigate the events and establish the full facts. Carse was not on England duty at the time, having been released from the Test squad to play for Durham, but he remains a centrally contracted player.
“Following a referral from the ECB, the cricket regulator has 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 Rothesay Test Match while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained. Brydon will be replaced in the squad for this match by Sonny Baker,” the ECB said in a statement on Monday.
Carse had originally been named in England’s squad for the second Test but has now been replaced by Sonny Baker, whose only Test appearance came against New Zealand in June.
According to reports, Carse was denied re-entry to the nightclub after an alleged exchange of words with another member of the public over a spilled drink. Durham, who are not Carse’s direct employers, are not believed to be pursuing the matter.
Footage of the incident, shared on social media, also showed former England captain Ben Stokes in the background. Fast bowler Matthew Potts was seen speaking to security staff and police.
Carse’s omission comes at a time when England’s players are under increased scrutiny over off-field incidents. Earlier this summer, Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval while an investigation was carried out into a late-night incident at a bar in Chelsea.
Atkinson was involved in a physical altercation with a Saracens rugby player, although the ECB said he was not the aggressor. Stokes was present at the venue but was not involved in the altercation.
England took a different approach on the eve of last winter’s tour of Australia when Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, New Zealand. Brook was fined at the time, although the punishment only became public at the end of the Ashes series.
Carse was part of England’s Ashes squad last winter and finished the series as the team’s leading wicket-taker. However, he was not expected to play in the second Test against Pakistan after being released from the squad for county cricket.
His omission now gives Joe Root an early off-field issue in his second spell as England captain. Root, 35, had recently removed the team curfew that had been introduced after last winter’s Ashes, a series England lost 4-1 amid repeated stories about players’ late-night drinking.
The Carse incident came just five days after Root, speaking at his first press conference since returning as captain, urged his players to be “good human beings”.
England had named a 15-man squad that was due to convene in London on Monday afternoon before two training days at Lord’s ahead of the second Test.
England lead the three-match series 1-0 after a dominant victory in the opening Test. They won by an innings and 103 runs, with the second Test scheduled to begin at Lord’s on Thursday, August 27.
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