England have left fast bowler Brydon Carse out of their squad for the third Test match against Pakistan at Edgbaston. The 31-year-old Durham player was removed from consideration for the second Test following an incident at a nightclub in Derby on 22 August.
Carse was de-arrested after the incident but remains under investigation by Derbyshire police, who are looking into allegations of assault. He was released without charge, having been out celebrating with his Durham team-mates following a victory over Derbyshire in the County Championship, England's domestic first-class cricket competition.
The fast bowler is currently not featuring in Durham's Championship fixture against fellow Division Two promotion chasers Northamptonshire. Carse was part of England's squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan and was the team's leading wicket-taker during their Ashes tour defeat in Australia.
Police investigation and social media video
A short video posted on social media showed Carse surrounded by four police officers outside the Derby venue. Fellow Durham stars Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts were visible in the background of the clip, while one police officer was heard saying: 'Just get him over there.'
Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher has also been omitted from the England squad for the match at Edgbaston, the historic stadium in Birmingham, starting next Wednesday. Hampshire bowler Sonny Baker has been retained in the 15-strong group after being named as Carse's replacement for the second Test at Lord's in London.
England secured a 194-run victory over Pakistan at Lord's. That second Test match saw Sussex fast bowler Ollie Robinson claim eight wickets, moving to 99 career Test wickets and climbing to fifth place in the international Test bowling rankings.
Curfew decision and confirmed squad
The decision on Carse came shortly after England's new Test captain, Joe Root, abolished the team curfew that had been in place since the Ashes defeat in Australia in January. Root insisted that his players should be trusted to behave like "grown adults".
England have selected a 15-man squad for the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston: Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox (Essex), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Jamie Smith (Surrey), and Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire).
