Brydon Carse left out of England's squad for second Test against Pakistan, investigation launched into nightclub episode

England pacer Brydon Carse has been left out of the squad for the upcoming second Test against Pakistan at Lord's.

Updated on: Aug 24, 2026, 20:18:25 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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England withdrew Brydon Carse from their squad for the second Test against Pakistan after an incident in Derby triggered an investigation by the independent Cricket Regulator. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday confirmed that the pacer will miss the Lord’s Test, which begins on Thursday. Hampshire seamer Sonny Baker has now been drafted into England’s squad as his replacement. The England board also confirmed that Carse will remain unavailable for selection while the investigation is conducted and the circumstances surrounding the incident are established.

Brydon Carse has been left out of the squad for the upcoming second Test (Action Images via Reuters)

The development follows the emergence of video footage showing Carse being led away from a Derby nightclub in handcuffs by police officers on Saturday night. The incident occurred after Durham’s County Championship match against Derbyshire, where Carse had been released from England duty after being left out of the XI for the opening Test against Pakistan at Headingley.

“Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator have confirmed that they will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby,” the ECB said in an official statement on Monday.

Also Read: Brydon Carse, labelled ‘daft’ after another nightclub row, causes nightmare for ECB: ‘When you are in Test squad…’

“Brydon Carse will no longer be available for selection for the Second Men’s Rothesay Test Match 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 statement added.

Carse played in Durham’s victory, taking two wickets and making 26 with the bat, before joining teammates for celebrations in Derby. The footage also appeared to show Durham teammate Matthew Potts speaking with Carse, while former England captain Ben Stokes was visible nearby.

The pacer had earlier not featured in England’s opening Test victory over Pakistan and was therefore released to Durham for county duty. England won the Headingley contest convincingly, but the attention surrounding Carse’s off-field situation has now shifted the focus towards preparations for the second match of the series.

England's off-field issues

The Carse incident occurred less than two weeks after Root announced the removal of England’s midnight curfew. The restriction had been introduced following a series of alcohol-related controversies during England’s winter campaigns. Root, after taking over the Test captaincy, urged his players to take greater responsibility and conduct themselves appropriately away from the cricket field.

England have dealt with several disciplinary issues involving players over the past year. Harry Brook was involved in an incident with a bouncer in New Zealand, while an unverified video later circulated during the Ashes, appearing to show Ben Duckett intoxicated during the squad’s mid-series break in Noosa.

The team faced another disciplinary matter during the home series against New Zealand this summer. Stokes and Gus Atkinson were subsequently made unavailable for the second Test after breaking the team curfew while celebrating England’s victory.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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