England make decision over Brydon Carse after nightclub incident as replacement named

Brydon Carse has been dropped from the England squad for their second Test against Pakistan following an incident outside a bar.

Images emerged on social media on Sunday of Carse, who was in handcuffs, in conversation with police officers outside a bar in Derby on Saturday night.

It is said that the 31-year-old bowler was in handcuffs 'for a few minutes'. In the clip, fellow seam bowler Matthew Potts - who is not currently part of the England squad - can be in seen in conversation with officers and security.

Carse had been in Derby for Durham's County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire.

Durham sealed victory by 338 runs with over a day to spare on Saturday afternoon, with a five-wicket haul from Ben Stokes helping them to bowl their hosts out for just 84 in the fourth innings.

Carse, who missed the first part of the 2026 season after suffering a hand injury, was making his first County Championship appearance of the season.

He was named in England's extended squad for the opening two Tests of their series against Pakistan.

He played no part in the first Test, with Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson and Gus Atkinson making up England's seam attack.

And he will definitely play no part in the second Test at Lord's, which gets underway on Thursday.

ECB issue statement on Brydon Carse

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who referred the incident to the Cricket Regulator on Sunday, have announced that Carse is no longer part of the squad for the next Test.

He will be replaced by Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker, who made his Test debut against New Zealand in June.

An ECB statement reads: "Following a referral from the ECB, the Cricket Regulator have confirmed that they will investigate events on Saturday night in Derby.

"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 incident will no doubt be of great frustration to England captain Joe Root, who lifted a midnight curfew on Test players upon becoming captain for a second time last month.

Prior to the first Test against Pakistan, Root told media: "Ultimately, we've got to self-police. We can't find ourselves in situations like we have done over the last little while. Just be grown-ups about it."

White-ball captain Harry Brook was fined by the ECB after he was struck by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington - during England's tour of New Zealand - in November, though details of the incident only emerged in the media at the end of the 2025/26 Ashes series in January.

Stokes and Atkinson both missed a Test match after they were involved in a nightclub incident after England's first Test win over New Zealand in June, amid claims that they also broke curfew.

However, Atkinson told the ECB that he did not know about the curfew, and Stokes himself said he was 'unsure' whether it applied after a Test match.