Carse left out of England squad for third Pakistan Test

England have omitted 31‑year‑old Durham fast‑bowler Brydon Carse from the squad for the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, a decision that follows his brief arrest after an incident outside a Derby nightclub on 22 August. Derbyshire police continue to investigate an alleged assault linked to that event, and Carse was also dropped for the second Test at Lord’s. His place in the 15‑man party has been taken by 23‑year‑old Sonny Baker, who retained his spot after debuting against New Zealand at The Oval, while Surrey’s Matthew Fisher was the other change as England aim to complete a series clean‑sweep.

The selection shift comes as England balance the demands of the concluding Test with an upcoming slate of six white‑ball matches against Sri Lanka, prompting speculation that seamers Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue—both named in the Test squad and regulars in the limited‑overs set‑up—could be rested. Potential replacements include Baker, Essex pacer Sam Cook, who played a solitary Test against Zimbabwe last summer, and Derbyshire spinner Shoaib Bashir, who has yet to feature this series but is favored as England opt for an all‑pace attack. Carse remains eligible for Durham, having taken 4‑95 in their recent victory over Gloucestershire, yet he was not selected for their match against Northamptonshire that began on Wednesday.

Pakistan entered the Edgbaston encounter with a dramatically altered lineup, dropping seven players, calling up five uncapped faces and relieving head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was replaced by white‑ball coach Mike Hesson. Among the omitted Pakistan players are regulars Muhammad Rizwan, Imam‑ul‑Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman and Khurram Shahzad. England, having already secured the series with an innings win at Headingley and a 194‑run victory at Lord’s, will field a side that includes captain Joe Root, Archer, Atkinson, Baker, Bashir, Harry Brook, Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith and Tongue, as they look to seal a 3‑0 whitewash and shift focus to the forthcoming limited‑overs programme.

⚡ Effects Interpreter