Brydon Carse and Matthew Fisher have both been excluded from England's 15‑man squad for the third and decisive Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. England are aiming for a clean 3‑0 series victory, with the match scheduled for September 9‑13 and broadcast live on Sky Sports. The hosts have already dominated the series, routing the visitors by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley and then securing a 194‑run win at Lord's.
Carse's removal from the squad for the second Test came 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" against the 31‑year‑old, while right‑arm paceman Sonny Baker has retained his place in Joe Root's side as Carse's replacement.
Fisher, who has not featured in the first two Tests, also misses out on the final match. In addition to the international omission, Carse was left out of Durham's County Championship side for their clash with Northamptonshire, which began on Wednesday.
The club cited "pre‑arranged workload management" as the reason, even though Carse had just produced impressive figures of 4‑95 in Durham's previous victory over Gloucestershire. England captain Joe Root addressed the situation at Lord's last week, expressing his frustration with the growing number of alcohol‑related stories surrounding the team.
He said, "I've spoken to Brydon and when I first found out my first concern was him as a person. I don't think I'm speaking out of turn in saying he's very upset, very apologetic and understands his actions. I'm sure when he gets his chance, he will say that 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 whitewash, rather than rotating players.
This suggests that Baker and Sam Cook may remain on the sidelines unless the coaching staff decide to rest any of the in‑form pace 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 English seam attack, especially the relentless accuracy of Ollie Robinson—who finished the second Test with match figures of 8‑35—has been a key factor, supported by the other fast bowlers. The current England squad for the Edgbaston Test 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) - Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire) On the Pakistani side, a significant reshuffle has taken place after their series defeat.
Seven players and two members of the coaching staff have been sent home. 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 dropped. Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been released, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke stepping into the backroom roles.
Seven new faces have been called up to the Pakistan squad, including five players who have not yet earned a Test cap. The newcomers are: - Batsmen Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal (who have eight and two Test appearances respectively) - All‑rounder Arafat Minhas, a left‑arm spin bowler who has previously represented Pakistan in limited‑overs cricket - Left‑arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr.
- Wicket‑keeper‑batter Saad Baig - Pace‑bowling all‑rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah The revised Pakistan Test squad for Edgbaston now reads: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jr., Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), 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 streamed live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event. Viewers without a Sky subscription can watch via NOW, which offers contract‑free streaming options. Overall, England are poised to complete a dominant series sweep, while Pakistan are scrambling to rebuild after a disappointing campaign.
The final Test promises high‑stakes cricket, with both sides eager to finish the series on a high note.