England’s pace attack suffered a setback on Thursday when fast bowler Brydon Carse was removed from the squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's. The decision came after an incident outside a nightclub in Derby that is now the subject of an investigation by the Cricket Regulator. Footage that surfaced on social media showed Carse, handcuffed, being escorted by police officers on Saturday night. The clip captured the moment after Durham’s squad had gone out to celebrate a County Championship victory over Derbyshire.
In the video Carse can be seen speaking with teammate Matthew Potts while former England captain Ben Stokes is visible in the background, adding further intrigue to the scene. The England lineup for the match includes captain Joe Root, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith and Josh Tongue. The second Test will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage beginning at 10 a.m. (first ball at 11 a.m.) on Thursday.
Derbyshire Police released a statement confirming that a man in his thirties was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in the city centre on the night of August 22. The individual was subsequently released after agreeing to leave the area, according to the police report.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also issued a statement, noting that, following a referral from the board, the Cricket Regulator will examine the events that took place on Saturday night in Derby. The regulator confirmed that Carse will not be available for selection for the second men’s Rothesay Test while the investigation is ongoing and the full facts are gathered.
Sonny Baker, who made his Test debut against New Zealand at the Kia Oval in June, has been called up to replace Carse in the squad. Baker’s inclusion adds a fresh face to England’s pace department as they prepare for the crucial match at Lord’s. The Carse episode arrives less than two weeks after new England captain Joe Root lifted the midnight curfew that had been imposed following a series of alcohol‑related incidents on previous tours of New Zealand and Australia. The curfew, introduced as a disciplinary measure, was intended to curb off‑field behaviour that had previously disrupted team harmony.
Carse did not feature in England’s dominant three‑day victory over Pakistan in the opening Test at Headingley. After that match he returned to Durham, where he played against Derbyshire, taking two wickets and contributing 26 runs with the bat.
He had been England’s leading wicket‑taker during the 4‑1 Ashes series win, but injuries had kept him out of the side for several months prior to this incident. The incident adds to a growing list of off‑field controversies that have plagued England cricket in recent years. White‑ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer the night before an ODI in New Zealand last autumn. During the Ashes, an unverified video appeared to show Ben Duckett appearing intoxicated while the team was on a break in Noosa, Australia.
Earlier this summer, both Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson missed the second Test of the home series against New Zealand after breaching the curfew to attend a Chelsea nightclub celebration following a win at Lord's. While they avoided formal sanctions for violent conduct, they received written warnings for violating specific contractual obligations.
Root has repeatedly urged his players to "be adults" and act responsibly, especially after the curfew was scrapped. Carse’s situation will inevitably reignite the debate about how the England set‑up manages alcohol consumption and player conduct off the field.
On the For the Love of Cricket podcast, former England bowler and Sky Sports pundit Stuart Broad commented on the developing story before the official withdrawal was announced. Broad described the incident as "pretty daft" and emphasized that the details were still unclear, noting that the timing of the event could have been anywhere from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. He added that the team would prefer not to focus on such distractions, calling the matter something "nobody wants to talk about any more".
The second Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s will proceed as scheduled, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event. Fans can also stream the match via the NOW platform. All matches start at 11 a.m.
UK time and will be available across the UK and Ireland on Sky’s sports channels. The broader context of this incident highlights the ongoing challenge for England cricket: balancing the demands of high‑performance sport with the personal freedoms of its players.
As the investigation unfolds, the ECB and the Cricket Regulator will need to determine whether Carse’s actions constitute a breach of conduct that warrants further disciplinary action, or if they represent an isolated lapse in judgement. Until then, the focus will shift back to the field, where England hopes to maintain its momentum against Pakistan and secure another victory at the historic Lord’s venue.