England have omitted fast bowler Brydon Carse from their 15-member squad for the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, according to BBC. The 31-year-old Durham seamer was previously dropped from the squad for the second Test at Lord’s following an incident outside a Derby nightclub on August 22, during which he was briefly arrested and handcuffed by police, as reported by theScore.
England Omit Brydon Carse for Third Test Amid Ongoing Police Probe
Derbyshire Police confirmed they are continuing to investigate allegations of assault in connection with the incident, according to BBC. Additionally, Carse is the subject of an investigation by the Cricket Regulator regarding his conduct, as detailed by Cricinfo. While Carse returned to play for Durham in the County Championship last week—taking four wickets in a win over Gloucestershire—he was not involved in their subsequent match against Northamptonshire, which Durham stated was the result of pre-arranged workload management with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Squad Changes and Selection Details for Edgbaston
With Carse remaining sidelined, Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker has retained his place in England’s squad after replacing Carse for the second Test, according to Cricinfo. The only other adjustment to the hosts’ roster is the omission of Surrey’s Matthew Fisher, leaving a 15-man party for the fixture in Birmingham, which begins on Wednesday, September 9, according to BBC and Cricinfo.
England enter the third Test leading the series 2-0, having secured a victory by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test at Headingley and a 194-run win at Lord’s, according to BBC.
The complete 15-member England squad named for the third Test consists of:
- Joe Root (captain)
- Jofra Archer
- Gus Atkinson
- Sonny Baker
- Shoaib Bashir
- Harry Brook
- Sam Cook
- Jordan Cox
- Ben Duckett
- Emilio Gay
- Dan Lawrence
- Ollie Pope
- Ollie Robinson
- Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper)
- Josh Tongue
As noted by BBC, with six white-ball matches against Sri Lanka scheduled to follow the Test series, England may consider rotating or resting certain seamers who also feature in the limited-overs set-up, such as Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue.
Pakistan Make Wholesale Changes Prior to Series Finale
In stark contrast to England’s stability, Pakistan have undergone major alterations following their defeats at Headingley and Lord’s, according to BBC and Cricinfo. The visiting team dropped seven players, released head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed alongside bowling coach Umar Gul, and called up five uncapped players, according to Yahoo and BBC.
Players dismissed from the squad include Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar, and Khurram Shahzad, as reported by Yahoo and BBC. Mike Hesson has taken interim charge of the Test side alongside former Australia seamer Ashley Noffke, according to Yahoo. Babar Azam returns to lead the reshuffled Pakistan squad, which includes newly introduced top-order options Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal, alongside uncapped additions such as Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Player of the Tournament Saad Baig and all-rounder Arafat Minhas, according to Yahoo.
