Published on: Aug 25, 2026 5:09 pm IST|Updated on: Aug 25, 2026 5:09 pm IST
The England Cricket Board (ECB) has dropped right-arm seamer Brydon Carse from England’s Test squad for the second Test against Pakistan set to get underway at the home of cricket, i.e., Lord’s, on August 27. The decision came after social media video footage emerged showing the 31-year-old pacer in police handcuffs outside a venue in Derby city center. The seamer has been replaced by young Hampshire pacer Sonny Baker in the squad.
The incident took place in the early hours this past Sunday morning outside Molly Malone’s Irish Tavern in Derby. Video captured by a member of the public showed Carse in handcuffs speaking with police officers and teammate Matthew Potts, while former England captain Ben Stokes was also seen peeping nearby. Local police briefly detained Carse on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly. However, he was released shortly afterward when he agreed to leave the area and was released without charge.
Carse was released from the English Test squad after the eleven was named for the 1st Test at Hedingely against Pakistan. He then went on to represent Durham in their County Championship match against Derbyshire, where he picked up two wickets and scored 26 crucial runs ti help his team secure a win. It was after the game when Carse decided to celebrate with teammates at Molly Malone’s Irish Tavern in Derby and eventually was seen in handcuffs.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) referred the matter to the Cricket Regulator—the independent disciplinary body responsible for investigating alleged breaches of the sport’s conduct regulations. Addressing the situation, the ECB official issued a statement referrring Carse’s immediate status.
“Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator have confirmed that they will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby.”
The board further confirmed that Carse would sit out the Lord’s Test while facts surrounding the incident are examined:
“Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the second Test while this investigation is ongoing and the full facts are obtained. Brydon will be replaced in the squad for this match by Sonny Baker.”
The investigation presents an early off-field challenge for the reappointed Test skipper Joe Root, who recently removed the team’s midnight curfew to encourage player self-responsibility. While Carse wasn’t expected to be a preferred choice in the eleven of the Lord’s Test, particularly after missing out in the eleven of the opening Test, his absence is a clear statement from the ECB that they are no longer going to tolerate any such incidents in the near future.
A similar controversy unfolded during the New Zealand tour of England earlier in June this year, leading to both Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson being dropped from the second Test. Joe Root led the side in the second Test in Stokes’ absence at the Oval in London, which saw New Zealand win by a mammoth margin of 253 runs to make it 1-1 in the series ahead of the decider. The fallout proved pivotal for the then skipper, Ben Stokes, who stepped away from international cricket altogether at the conclusion of the series.
For now, Carse remains unavailable for selection in the second England vs Pakistan Test at Lord’s. However, it remains interesting to see if he will make it to the squad for the final Test of the series in Birmingham on September 9.