Brydon Carse and Matthew Fisher have both been excluded from England's fifteen‑man roster for the third and decisive Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The hosts are aiming for a clean‑sweep of the series, with the matches being broadcast live on Sky Sports from September 9 to 13. England have already dominated the visitors, winning the second Test at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs and then securing a 194‑run victory at Lord's.
Carse was removed from the squad for the second Test after the Cricket Regulator opened an investigation into an incident that saw the Durham bowler briefly detained outside a nightclub in Derby on August 22. Derbyshire Police are now probing "allegations of assault" involving the 31‑year‑old. In his place, right‑arm pacer Sonny Baker has retained his spot in Joe Root's side, while Fisher has been left out after not featuring in the first two matches. The Durham County Cricket Club also omitted Carse from their County Championship fixture against Northamptonshire, which began on Wednesday.
The club cited "pre‑arranged workload management" as the reason, even though Carse had finished his previous game with impressive figures of 4 for 95 in a win over Gloucestershire. Speaking at Lord's last week, England captain Joe Root admitted he was "fed up" with the growing number of alcohol‑related stories surrounding the squad. He said, "I spoke to Brydon and my first concern was about 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 the same himself." Interim head coach Marcus Trescothick has made it clear that his priority is to field the strongest possible XI in pursuit of a 3‑0 result, rather than rotating players.
This approach suggests that Baker and Sam Cook may remain on the bench unless the management decides to rest any of the in‑form pace quartet of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson. Pakistan's relatively inexperienced side has struggled to post competitive totals, being dismissed for under 200 runs in each of the four innings so far and managing to bat beyond 50 overs only once. The English attack, especially the pinpoint accuracy of Ollie Robinson—who claimed 8 wickets for 35 runs in the second Test—has been relentless, supported by the other seamers. England's current squad list includes: 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 Pakistani side, seven players and two members of the coaching staff have been dropped following the series loss. Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul‑Haq—who was injured during the second Test at Lord's—Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad have all been sent home.
Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been released, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke stepping in to fill the back‑room vacancies. The revamped Pakistan squad features a mix of seasoned campaigners and uncapped talent. New additions include left‑arm spin‑bowling all‑rounder Arafat Minhas, who has already represented Pakistan in limited‑overs cricket, left‑arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Junior, wicket‑keeper‑batter Saad Baig and pace‑bowling all‑rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah. The full Test roster for the Edgbaston encounter lists Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Junior, 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. on Wednesday, September 9, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event.
Viewers without a Sky subscription can explore streaming options through NOW, which offers contract‑free access. All matches in the series are being broadcast live on Sky Sports, ensuring fans can follow every moment of the contest.
In summary, England are poised to complete a dominant 3‑0 sweep of Pakistan, fielding a potent bowling attack while managing squad discipline and player availability. The exclusion of Carse and Fisher underscores the team's focus on maintaining a strong, cohesive unit as they aim to finish the series on a high note.