Brydon Carse and Matthew Fisher have both been excluded from England's 15‑man roster for the third and decisive Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. England are aiming for a clean‑sweep of the series, with the matches being broadcast live on Sky Sports from September 9 to 13.
After a dominant performance at Headingley, where they won by an innings and 103 runs, England followed up with a 194‑run victory at Lord's, putting them in a commanding position. Carse was pulled from the squad for the second Test after the Cricket Regulator launched an investigation into an incident that saw the Durham bowler briefly detained outside a Derby nightclub on August 22. Derbyshire Police are now probing "allegations of assault" involving the 31‑year‑old.
In Carse's stead, right‑arm paceman Sonny Baker has retained his place in Joe Root's squad, while Fisher, who did not feature in the first two Tests, has been left out altogether. The repercussions extended to the county level as well. Carse was also omitted from Durham's lineup for their County Championship clash with Northamptonshire, which began on Wednesday. The decision was described as part of a "pre‑arranged workload management" plan, even though Carse had posted impressive figures of 4‑95 in Durham's previous win over Gloucestershire.
England captain Joe Root addressed the situation at Lord's last week, admitting that he was "fed up" with the growing number of alcohol‑related stories surrounding the team. He said, "I spoke to Brydon and my first concern was for him as a person.
I don't think I'm speaking out of turn when I say he's very upset, very apologetic and understands his actions. I'm sure when he gets his chance, he'll say that himself." Interim head coach Marcus Trescothick has signalled a clear preference for fielding England's strongest XI in pursuit of a 3‑0 whitewash, rather than rotating players.
This suggests that Baker and Sam Cook may remain on the bench unless the coaching staff decide to rest any of the in‑form fast‑bowling quartet of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson. Pakistan's side, still relatively inexperienced, have been dismissed for under 200 runs in each of their four innings so far and have only managed to bat beyond the 50‑over mark once. The relentless precision of Ollie Robinson, who recorded match figures of 8‑35 in the second Test, has been a key factor, supported by the rest of England's seam attack.
The current England squad for the Edgbaston Test reads as follows: Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox (Essex), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Jamie Smith (Surrey) and Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire). On the opposite side, Pakistan have trimmed their touring party after the series defeat, sending home seven players and two members of the coaching staff. Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul‑Haq (who suffered an injury during the second Test at Lord's), Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have all been recalled.
In addition, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been released, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke stepping in to fill the vacant back‑room positions. Seven new faces have been called up to the Pakistani squad, including five who have yet to earn a Test cap. Batsmen Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal bring eight and two Test appearances respectively, while all‑rounders and bowlers such as left‑arm spinner Arafat Minhas, left‑arm paceman Mohammad Imran Jr., wicket‑keeper‑batter Saad Baig and pace‑bowling all‑rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah have been added. The revised Pakistan Test lineup for Edgbaston comprises: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr., Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket‑keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket‑keeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.
The third Test will kick off at 10 a.m. (11 a.m.
local time) on Wednesday, September 9, and will be available live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event. Viewers without a Sky subscription can stream the match via NOW or explore the latest Sky Sports deals for alternative access. Both teams will be keen to finish the series on a high note.
England will look to cement a historic whitewash, while Pakistan will hope to salvage pride by challenging the hosts and possibly securing a win to avoid a 3‑0 defeat. The contest promises high‑quality fast bowling, sharp fielding and strategic captaincy from both sides, making the final Test a compelling climax to an already eventful series.