England fast bowler Brydon Carse has been withdrawn from the squad for the second Test against Pakistan after a night club incident in Derby which has now led to an investigation by the Cricket Regulator.
Carse had been released from England duty after being left out of the XI for the first Test at Headingley, which England won by an innings and 103 runsHe returned to county cricket for Durham and played against Derbyshire on Saturday.
Durham won the match, with Carse taking two wickets and scoring 26 runs.
Later that night, footage appeared on social media showing Carse in handcuffs outside a nightclub in DerbyThe incident took place as Durham players were celebrating their winBen Stokes and Matthew Potts were also seen in the footage.
Police said a man in his 30s had been arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly but was released shortly afterwards after agreeing to leave the area.
The incident quickly became a talking point ahead of the second Test at Lord’sCarse was initially still part of England’s squad while the ECB looked into what had happenedThe board then referred the matter to the Cricket Regulator.
The latest update came on Monday, when the ECB confirmed that Carse would no longer be available for selection for the second Test while the investigation was under way.
“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 its statementThe board added that Carse would remain unavailable while the investigation continued and the full facts were obtainedSonny Baker, meanwhile, has been called into the squad as his replacement.
The timing of the incident has also brought renewed attention to England’s recent problems away from the fieldStokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the second Test against New Zealand earlier this summer after attending a nightclub following England’s win in the opening TestThey were later cleared of violent conduct and received written warnings.
Joe Root had also recently spoken about player responsibility after taking over as England’s Test captainHe had removed the midnight curfew imposed following earlier incidents and said the players needed to act responsibly.
Carse’s latest incident has therefore added another problem for England to deal with just days after their dominant win over PakistanFor now, he will miss the Lord’s Test, while the Cricket Regulator investigates what happened in Derby.
