England have withdrawn Brydon Carse from their squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s this week. The decision follows his brief arrest on Saturday night on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly outside a bar in Derby.
The Cricket Regulator, an independent body, will now investigate the incident after a referral from the ECB.
Arrest Outside Derby Bar Triggers Regulator Referral
Carse had been released to play for Durham in the County Championship after missing selection for the first Test at Headingley. He celebrated Durham’s win over Derbyshire on Saturday night, and a video later emerged showing him surrounded by police officers outside what was widely reported to be Molly Malone’s Irish Tavern in Derby.
Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed on Monday that a man in his 30s had been arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in the city centre, before being de-arrested after agreeing to leave the area. Carse, 31, is understood to be that man. Durham team-mates Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts also appear in the footage, though neither faces any suggestion of wrongdoing.
The ECB announced on Sunday that it would look into the matter, and it has now handed the case to the Cricket Regulator. In a statement issued Monday, the board confirmed 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.” Hampshire seamer Sonny Baker will take his place in the squad.
Latest In A String Of Off-Field Incidents
This episode adds to a run of off-field controversies involving England players over the past year. It arrives just a week after new captain Joe Root confirmed that the team’s midnight curfew had been relaxed, with Root backing his squad to behave like responsible adults.
Harry Brook was fined and nearly stripped of the white-ball captaincy last year after a nightclub bouncer struck him in Wellington, the night before an ODI. Reports about players’ drinking habits, especially during a break in Noosa during the Ashes tour, also overshadowed last winter’s series in Australia.
This summer, Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended pending an inquiry into their celebrations after the first Test against New Zealand. Investigators later cleared both players of violent conduct at a nightclub but issued written warnings for breaching contractual obligations.
Managing director Rob Key rejected suggestions that the team represented a “national embarrassment” after that incident, though he did introduce updated guidance on alcohol consumption for players.
Carse’s Route Back To The Test Side
Carse made his Test debut in late 2024 after serving a ban for historic betting offences tied to 303 bets placed on various matches between 2017 and 2019. He never played in any of those matches, but cricketers in England face a strict prohibition on betting related to the sport under integrity rules. He has not featured in a Test since last winter’s Ashes series in Australia.
England’s squad assembled in London on Monday and will train twice at Lord’s ahead of Thursday’s start to the second Test. The team currently leads the series 1-0, having beaten Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs inside three days at Headingley.
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