England’s white-ball captain, Harry Brook, has publicly commented on Brydon Carse’s ongoing absence from international cricket, noting that the Durham pace bowler needs time away from the England team as he deals with personal matters off the field. On September 18, 2026, Derbyshire Police confirmed that their investigation into the alleged assault connected to the incident had been concluded and that Carse, aged 31, would not be charged.
Last month, during a night out in Derby with teammates from Durham, Carse was handcuffed by police and later arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly; he was subsequently released from custody. Derbyshire Police initiated a follow-up investigation into an alleged assault linked to the incident, and on Friday confirmed that the case has been closed, with the 31-year-old not facing any charges.
The Derby incident took place during a night out with teammates from Durham. Carse was held on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly but was let go at the scene without being charged. He was subsequently dropped from England’s squad for the third Test against Pakistan in September 2026 and also excluded from the white-ball team scheduled to play Sri Lanka.
White-ball head coach Brendon McCullum established a clear public benchmark for any potential Carse recall, urging him to ‘ get his house in order’ prior to rejoining the England setup. McCullum has also urged his limited-overs squad to become the fittest, strongest, most dynamic, and most resilient cricket team globally, prioritising physical and behavioural conditioning as core to their goals. Before the first ODI against Sri Lanka at the Riverside Ground, Brook reiterated that message:
The Independent quotes Brook saying, “We should all be role models to everybody in the world, on and off the field. Everybody is extremely aware of it now. The words Baz said the other day – we want to be one of the fittest and strongest teams in the world and to be able to do that we need to be preparing well on and off the field.”
