England remove Brydon Carse from second Test squad amid regulator investigation

England have removed pace bowler Brydon Carse from their squad for the second Test against Pakistan while the Cricket Regulator investigates an incident in Derby. BBC Sport reported that the 31-year-old has been replaced by Sonny Baker for the match at Lord's, which begins Thursday.

Watch the highlights:

Images shared on social media on Sunday appeared to show Carse in handcuffs outside a Derby bar on Saturday night. BBC Sport reported that Carse was not arrested and was released without charge. The reason he was detained has not been confirmed, and the regulator's inquiry remains in progress.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said it referred the matter to the Cricket Regulator, which confirmed it would investigate Saturday night's events. According to the ECB, Carse will be unavailable for selection for the second Test while investigators establish the facts. The governing body's statement did not announce any further sanction.

Carse had been included in England's squad for the opening two matches of the three-Test series. He was not selected for the first Test at Headingley, where England beat Pakistan by an innings inside three days, and was released to represent Durham in the County Championship. Durham completed a win over Derbyshire on Saturday before the incident later that night.

The bowler had been due to join the England group in London on Monday ahead of the Lord's Test. Footage also showed Durham team-mate Matthew Potts nearby, while former England captain Ben Stokes appeared in the background, according to BBC Sport. The report did not say that either Potts or Stokes was under investigation in connection with Carse's detention.

Baker now joins England's options for the second Test as the inquiry continues. Carse has played regularly across formats since making his Test debut in October 2024, taking 58 Test wickets, according to BBC Sport. His removal is limited in the ECB statement to the Lord's match while the regulator obtains the full facts, leaving any longer-term implications unresolved.