Michael Vaughan has called for severe punishment after England dropped Brydon Carse from their squad for the second Test against Pakistan while an investigation into a reported incident at a pub in Derby, central England, continues.
Carse was seen in handcuffs outside a pub on Saturday night, shortly after Durham’s 338-run County Championship win over Derbyshire. The 31-year-old fast bowler was reportedly detained for a few minutes but was not arrested or charged.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has referred the matter to the Cricket Regulator, which will investigate the incident and establish the full facts. England have since ruled Carse out of selection for the Lord’s Test and replaced him with Sonny Baker.
VAUGHAN WANTS A MESSAGE
“Someone is going to have to get a punishment that sends a shiver down the whole England cricket team and right down through the programme,” Vaughan told BBC Radio. “It’s the only punishment that will really hurt players.”
Vaughan stressed that he would not want Carse to become a scapegoat for England’s wider disciplinary issues. He said he hoped the Durham fast bowler was getting the right support and advice, while describing him as someone who can be “a little bit loose” if given too much freedom.
“I would feel for Carse if he is the one who takes the rap for what has happened over the past nine months,” Vaughan said. But he also believes England need to set a clear precedent that such behaviour will not be tolerated.
Carse was not with the England team when the incident took place. He had been released from the Test squad to play for Durham after missing the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley. He had taken two wickets in Durham’s victory, while England captain Ben Stokes claimed five for 17.
Footage circulating on social media appeared to show Carse surrounded by police officers outside the pub, with Stokes also visible in the background. There is no suggestion that Stokes was involved in the incident. Reports indicate Carse was briefly detained and later released without charge.
ROOT’S PROBLEM RETURNS
The development comes at an awkward time for England, who lead the three-Test series 1-0 and are preparing for the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday.
Vaughan believes Joe Root will be frustrated that the focus has once again shifted away from cricket.
“Joe Root will be absolutely fuming with this,” Vaughan said. “He will have been hoping to arrive at Lord’s to talk about cricket and his team.”
Instead, England are again facing questions about discipline, curfews and drinking culture.
The latest incident follows scrutiny earlier this summer involving Stokes and Gus Atkinson after they were at a Chelsea nightclub following England’s first Test against New Zealand. Both had breached the team’s midnight curfew. The ECB later concluded Stokes was not involved in the altercation at the venue, with both players receiving written warnings over their conduct.
England also dealt with an incident involving Harry Brook during preparations for last winter’s Ashes, when he was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington. Brook was later fined.
The Carse controversy also comes just days after Root, in his first press conference since returning as England captain, urged his players to be “good human beings”. Root had recently removed the team curfew introduced after last winter’s Ashes, which England lost 4-1.
For Vaughan, the recurrence of off-field stories suggests England’s problems have not disappeared.
“Everything we thought has been brushed under the carpet and moved to one side, we are pretty much back to square one,” he said.
Carse’s immediate future now rests with the Cricket Regulator’s investigation. For the moment, England have already made their first move by dropping him from the Lord’s Test squad, with Sonny Baker coming in as his replacement.
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