Brydon Carse and Matthew Fisher have both been excluded from England's fifteen‑man squad for the third and decisive Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. England are aiming for a clean 3‑0 series sweep, with the matches being broadcast live on Sky Sports from September 9 to 13. The team entered the final Test after a dominant performance at Headingley, where they won by an innings and 103 runs, and a comprehensive 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 Derby nightclub on August 22.
Derbyshire Police are now probing "allegations of assault" against the 31‑year‑old. In Carse's place, right‑arm pacer Sonny Baker has retained his spot in Joe Root's side, while Fisher was left out after not featuring in either of the first two Tests.
The Durham county side also left Carse out of its squad for the County Championship clash with Northamptonshire that began on Wednesday. The omission was described as part of a "pre‑arranged workload management" plan, even though Carse had finished his previous match with impressive figures of four wickets for 95 runs in Durham's win over Gloucestershire. England captain Joe Root addressed the situation at Lord's last week, saying he felt "hacked off" by the growing number of alcohol‑related stories surrounding the team. Root explained, "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 whitewash, rather than rotating players. This approach suggests that Baker and Sam Cook may remain on the bench unless the coaching staff decide to rest any of the in‑form fast bowlers—Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue or Gus Atkinson. Pakistan's inexperienced side has struggled to post competitive totals, being dismissed for under 200 runs in each of their four innings so far and only once batting beyond the 50‑over mark.
The relentless accuracy of England's seam attack, highlighted by Ollie Robinson's match figures of eight wickets for 35 runs in the second Test, has been a key factor, with the rest of the pace unit providing strong support. 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) and Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire). On the Pakistani side, a major overhaul has taken place following their series loss. Seven players and two coaches have been dropped from the touring party ahead of the final Test.
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 sent home. Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have been released from their roles, with Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke stepping in as new members of the backroom staff.
Pakistan have called up seven replacements, including five players who have yet to earn a Test cap. The new additions feature batsmen Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, who have made eight and two Test appearances respectively, left‑arm spin‑bowling all‑rounder Arafat Minhas (who has previously represented Pakistan in limited‑overs cricket), left‑arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jr., wicket‑keeper‑batter Saad Baig, and pace‑bowling all‑rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah. The updated Pakistan Test squad for Edgbaston reads: 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.
Fans can watch day one of the third Test live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event, with the first ball scheduled for 11:00 am BST on Wednesday, September 9. Those without a Sky subscription can explore streaming options through NOW or other Sky Sports deals.
Overall, the final Test promises a high‑stakes showdown as England pushes for a historic clean sweep while Pakistan seeks to salvage pride after a difficult series. Both sides will be keen to see how the revised line‑ups perform under pressure, and the outcome will likely influence selections and strategies for upcoming international fixtures.