Brydon Carse Withdrawn From England Squad as Cricket Regulator Investigates Derby Incident

Brydon Carse has been withdrawn from England's squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's after being involved in an incident outside a nightclub in Derby, with the independent Cricket Regulator now investigating the matter.

Footage emerged of Carse being led away by police in handcuffs on Saturday night, after Durham's players had gone out to celebrate their County Championship win over Derbyshire. A statement from Derbyshire Police confirmed a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in Derby city centre, before being de-arrested shortly afterwards having agreed to leave the area.

The ECB confirmed the incident had been referred to the Cricket Regulator, an independent body that now oversees discipline in English cricket. In a statement, the board said Carse would "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," with Hampshire seamer Sonny Baker called up as his direct replacement. Baker, who made his solitary Test appearance to date against New Zealand at The Oval in June, joins the squad as bowling cover for the pivotal clash starting Thursday.

The timing is awkward for England, coming just under two weeks after new captain Joe Root confirmed the team's midnight curfew, introduced following a string of drink-related incidents on the winter tours of New Zealand and Australia, had been relaxed. Carse, who made his Test debut in late 2024 after serving a ban for historic betting offences, did not feature in England's dominant innings-and-103-run win over Pakistan in the series-opening Test at Headingley, having been released to play for Durham in the interim.