The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is investigating an incident involving fast bowler Brydon Carse, who was seen in police handcuffs outside a bar in Derby. According to reports, Carse was released without charge.
The incident occurred after Durham, the Division Two leaders, completed a three-day victory over Derbyshire in the County Championship on Saturday. Footage also briefly shows Matthew Potts and Ben Stokes at the scene.
ECB confirms investigation
In a statement, the ECB said: “We are aware of an incident, which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating. We will provide a further update when possible.”
Carse was not on England duty at the time but is centrally contracted. He was England’s leading wicket-taker during the Ashes series but has been sidelined by injury this season. He was named in the squad for the Headingley Test against Pakistan but was released to play for Durham. He remains in the squad for the second Test at Lord’s.
Recent off-field issues for England
The incident comes five days after England captain Joe Root spoke about wanting his players to be “really good role models, good human beings”. England’s winter tour of Australia was marked by several off-field incidents, including a boozy week in Noosa during the Ashes and an unreported altercation involving Harry Brook with a nightclub bouncer in Wellington last November.
This summer, Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for the second Test against New Zealand after breaking a midnight curfew following the first Test win. That incident contributed to Stokes’s retirement from international cricket.
Stokes on cricket’s drinking culture
Stokes has acknowledged cricket’s drinking culture. This month, he told the For the Love of Cricket Podcast: “We are in 2026 now, where the game has gone more professional over the years, and one thing that has stayed within cricket is its relationship with alcohol – from club cricket it works its way up.”
Carse previously served a three-month ban in 2024 for historic betting offences committed between 2017 and 2019. The ECB has not yet provided further details on the Derby incident.
