England removes Carse from Pakistan Test squad following handcuffs incident

Pace bowler Brydon Carse has been removed from England's squad for the second Test against Pakistan following a police incident in Derby on the night of August 23, 2026, according to BBC Sport. Carse, 31, was filmed in handcuffs outside a bar in the city. He was released without charge following the incident.

The England and Wales Cricket Board referred the matter to the Cricket Regulator, who confirmed they will investigate the events of that Saturday night. Carse will not be available for selection for the second men's Test while the investigation is ongoing. Sonny Baker, a 23-year-old who won his only Test cap in June against New Zealand, has been named as his replacement.

Carse becomes the third England player this summer to miss a Test because of a disciplinary issue. In June, captain Ben Stokes and batter Gus Atkinson were present in a London nightclub when a member of England's security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player, according to BBC Sport. Both missed the second Test against New Zealand while that incident was investigated and were eventually given written warnings. Stokes and Atkinson had breached an England team curfew that was introduced following late-night incidents during the winter; captain Joe Root removed the curfew when he began his second spell as captain, and guidelines on alcohol consumption around matches and in public were also relaxed under Root.

Carse was not named in the starting XI for the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley, which England lost by an innings inside three days. He was released to play for Durham against Derbyshire on Saturday evening, a match Durham won. The incident occurred less than 48 hours before he was scheduled to arrive in London to join the rest of the England squad for the second Test at Lord's. Durham team-mate Matthew Potts was also in the footage outside the bar; former England captain Stokes, who has retired from international cricket but remains under a central contract with the ECB, could be seen in the background.

On the day before the first Test against Pakistan, Root told BBC Sport: "You always want to represent your country in the best possible light. We might have fallen short of that on a few occasions in the recent past. The only thing we can do to rectify that is be really good role models, good human beings and put in really strong performances on the field."

Carse was given a three-month ban in the summer of 2024 for historical betting offences. Since making his Test debut in October 2024, no England bowler has taken more wickets than his 58. It is unlikely he would have played at Lord's and he would probably have been a back-up to England's four frontline seamers from Headingley.

The exact circumstances that led to the handcuffs incident remain unclear from official sources. Carse was released without charge, meaning no criminal charges have been filed. The outcome of the Cricket Regulator's investigation is not yet determined, and it has not been confirmed whether Matthew Potts or Stokes will face any disciplinary action.