For the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, England has excluded bowler Brydon Carse from the ODI and T20I squads, telling him to “work through the issues” that caused him to leave a Derby nightclub handcuffed. The “Cricket Regulator” is conducting an independent investigation, and the ECB stated that they did not “prejudge the outcome” by excluding Carse.
The 31-year-old Durham fast bowler looked to be taken away by police in handcuffs in footage posted on social media. According to reports, Carse was at the club with Matthew Potts, a player from Durham and England. Carse was arrested on August 22, 2026, while celebrating a Durham County Championship triumph outside a Derby pub on charges of intoxication and disorderly conduct.
Shortly after, he agreed to leave the region and was released from custody. The degree of Carse’s involvement in that case has not yet been determined, although Derbyshire Police later confirmed that a separate assault investigation related to the same evening is still underway.
Talking to Cricinfo, an ECB spokesperson said, “Whilst Brydon was available for selection, he has not been picked for the Sri Lanka series squad. Given recent events, we feel it is important for him to work through the issues that led to the Derby incident and take time for a proper reset. This decision does not prejudge the outcome of any investigation.”
Carse was healthy and available for the Sri Lanka series, but he was purposefully left out, according to an ECB official on September 4. The board also affirmed that Carse’s behaviour is being investigated by the Cricket Regulator.
Carse has previously been disciplined by cricket’s regulating bodies. Due to past violations of ECB betting regulations, he was banned for three months in 2024, with a longer penalty suspended. His international career was unaffected by the punishment, as he went on to play a key role in England’s Test attack.
Carse solidified his status as one of England’s most significant pace bowlers in spite of his earlier penalty. During the 2025–26 Ashes series in Australia, he was England’s top wicket-taker, which made his eventual exclusion all the more noteworthy. Carse was dropped from the second Test team at Lord’s after the Derby incident, and uncapped Sonny Baker took his place. On September 4, the ECB announced that Carse would also miss the third Test at Edgbaston, which is set to start on September 9, 2026.
