Brydon Carse withdrawn from England squad to face Pakistan after nightclub incident

Brydon Carse has been withdrawn from England’s squad for this week’s second Test against Pakistan, with the Cricket Regulator opening an investigation into the incident that saw him handcuffed outside a nightclub on Saturday night.

A video clip showing the fast bowler being detained by police on a night out in Derby emerged over the weekend, plunging the England and Wales Cricket Board straight back into yet another alcohol-related drama.

Carse was due to link up with his England team-mates in London on Monday evening ahead of a training session at Lord’s on Tuesday.

However, the 31-year-old was stood down after the independent disciplinary body confirmed it would be looking into the episode.

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A statement from the ECB read: “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.”

Hampshire seamer Sonny Baker, who made his debut at Lord’s earlier this summer when Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out against New Zealand in similar circumstances, has been added to the squad as bowling cover.

The brief footage of Carse was taken a matter hours after he helped Durham to a Rothesay County Championship win over Derbyshire, with former England captain Stokes and England seamer Matthew Potts also appearing following starring roles in that match.

There is no indication either Stokes or Potts did anything untoward.

Major headache

Carse was England’s top wicket-taker during a dreadful Ashes campaign last winter but has not featured since due to injury concerns.

When he will do so again now remains to be seen.

The development will be another major headache for the ECB, the latest in a growing line of unwelcome events that has fostered a damaging reputation.

Former England seamer Stuart Broad described Carse finding himself involved with police, “pretty daft”, on his For the Love of Cricket podcast.

Less than two weeks ago, returning skipper Joe Root revealed he had abolished the controversial midnight curfew, suggesting his players would need to “self-police” and urging them to be “really good role models and human beings”.

Curfew

Root will address the media at Lord’s on Tuesday, bringing his captain’s press conference forward 24 hours in a bid to front the difficult questions that are coming.

The curfew originally came into place after a winter that saw several problematic incidents, including Harry Brook being struck by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington the night before captaining an ODI and a boozy mid-Ashes trip to Noosa that spawned an unflattering social media video of an intoxicated Ben Duckett.

Stokes and Gus Atkinson were left out of the second Test of the summer against New Zealand after breaching “contractual obligations” during a celebratory night out following victory at Lord’s.

An investigation concluded Atkinson had been subject to “unprovoked attacks” from a Saracens rugby player and the Cricket Regulator ruled the pair had no case to answer.

Stokes returned for one more Test before retiring from England duty.

Alcohol

In his own subsequent appearance on Broad’s podcast, Stokes denied the England team had a drinking problem but suggested there was a wider issue in the sport.

“I think cricket has a drinking culture and that hasn’t changed,” he said.

“It has just stayed there and has been embedded within the sport. For people who think the English cricket team has a drinking culture, I would say no.

“I would just say cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol.”

READ MORE: ECB investigates late-night incident involving England fast bowler Brydon Carse