Vaughan calls for a message that resonates through the whole of English cricket

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to deliver a punishment severe enough to send shockwaves through the entire national setup, following the latest off-field incident involving fast bowler Brydon Carse.

Carse became the latest England player to attract scrutiny after a video emerged showing the 30-year-old being handcuffed by police outside a nightclub. He was briefly arrested while out with Durham team-mates Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts, prompting the ECB to launch an investigation into the episode.

From heroics at the crease to a night on the town

Carse had been part of England's squad for two of the three Tests against Pakistan but was released to play for Durham after being left out of the XI for the first Test at Leeds. He contributed 26 runs and returned figures of 2-82 as Durham beat Derbyshire inside three days.

The fast bowler then went out with his Durham team-mates to celebrate the victory, during which the incident occurred. The ECB subsequently confirmed that Carse “will no longer be available for selection” for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's on Thursday. Hampshire right-arm seamer Sonny Baker has been called up as his replacement.

‘The only punishment that will really hurt players’

Vaughan believes the latest episode requires a response that sends a clear message across English cricket, arguing leniency would fail to deter future transgressions.

“Someone is going to have to get a punishment that sends a shiver down the whole England cricket team and right down through the programme, so that everyone knows that if you misbehave or bring any kind of bad reputation on to this team, you know what's coming,” Vaughan said on BBC Radio. “It's the only punishment that will really hurt players.”

A pattern of off-field incidents

Carse's case comes amid a series of off-field incidents involving England players over the past year. Last October, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Wellington, New Zealand, while Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also present. During the Ashes tour of Australia, Ben Duckett was filmed apparently drunk during England's holiday in Noosa.

Then, in June, former Test captain Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson broke a team curfew and were present when a member of England's security staff was punched by a Saracens rugby player in a London nightclub.

‘I would feel for Carse if he takes the rap’

Vaughan acknowledged that Carse could feel hard done by if he is punished heavily in light of the wider pattern of behaviour from other players.

“I hope Carse is getting good support around him. He is a character who can be a little bit loose and if you give him a bit of rope he'll take a huge amount of it. He needs people around him who are giving him better advice.”

“I would feel for Carse if he is the one who takes the rap for what has happened over the past nine months, but somewhere, somehow, something has to be done to set a precedent that they won't stand for that behaviour any more,” said Vaughan.

The ECB's decision regarding Carse will be closely scrutinized as the governing body attempts to bring an end to a turbulent year of off-field controversies for the English dressing room.