Brydon Carse has not been included in England’s white-ball squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. He has been advised to address issues related to an off-field incident in Derby last month.
The 31-year-old cricketer was detained by police outside a bar in Derby in August and is currently under investigation by the Cricket Regulator. Derbyshire Police are also looking into an alleged assault related to this incident, although Carse’s involvement has not been confirmed.
Carse’s exclusion follows his removal from England’s plans for the ongoing Test series against Pakistan. While he remains eligible for selection, he will not be part of the three T20Is and three ODIs against Sri Lanka, which start in Southampton on September 15.
Henry Crocombe has been named as Carse’s replacement in the ODI squad. The Sussex seamer, who has yet to make his international debut, has recently garnered attention for achieving back-to-back hat-tricks.
An England spokesperson shared that the decision was made to allow Carse time to work through the issues stemming from the Derby incident. “Considering recent events, it’s essential for Brydon to take time to address the circumstances of the incident and have a proper reset,” the spokesperson stated. “This decision does not imply any conclusions regarding the ongoing investigations.”
Carse, who holds a central contract with England and is a close friend of white-ball captain Harry Brook, seems to have fallen out of favor with the England management as the team seeks to enhance its standards around conduct and culture. Test captain Joe Root had previously encouraged players to act as “role models.”
Additionally, Jacob Bethell will also miss the Sri Lanka matches due to knee surgery, following a problem that has kept him out of play since mid-July. Bethell is not expected to return until the limited-overs tour of Australia in November. His absence opens a spot for Derbyshire batter Aneurin Donald, who has received his first T20 call-up.
Donald had an impressive T20 Blast season, racking up 489 runs at a striking rate of 230, and continued his strong performance with Trent Rockets in the Hundred. If he makes his England debut, Donald would be the first player from Glamorgan to represent England since Simon Jones in the 2005 Ashes, despite having moved to a different county since then.
Before facing Sri Lanka, England must complete the ongoing Test series against Pakistan, with the third match yet to be played.
