Fast bowler faces disciplinary hearing after Derby arrest

England fast bowler Brydon Carse has been charged with improper conduct by the Cricket Regulator following his arrest on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly during a night out with his Durham teammates in Derby in August.

The 31-year-old was in Derby with his Durham county teammates after their County Championship win over Derbyshire when he was arrested in the early hours of 23 August 2026. A video on social media showed him in handcuffs outside a nightclub. He was subsequently interviewed by Derbyshire police, which investigated allegations of assault before closing the case without pressing charges a fortnight ago, as revealed by the Guardian.

Carse has now been charged by the Regulator and will face a disciplinary hearing in front of the independent Cricket Discipline Committee in the next few weeks. The charge relates to a breach of regulation 3.2 of the ECB professional conduct regulations, which states that "no participant may conduct themself in a manner, do any act or make any omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute".

Regulator and ECB statements

A statement from the Cricket Regulator said: "Following a Cricket Regulator investigation, Brydon Carse has been charged with breaching regulation 3.2 of the ECB professional conduct regulations, in relation to events in Derby in the early hours of the morning on 23rd August 2026. The matter will now be referred to the independent Cricket Discipline Panel for adjudication. As the process is ongoing, no further comment will be made."

The ECB added: "We are aware of the Cricket Regulator's decision to charge Brydon Carse. Brydon now has the opportunity to respond through the established process. As we do not wish to prejudge the outcome, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further."

Carse has 12 months left on his England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) central contract but is not facing action from his employers for breaching the terms. The sanctions open to the Cricket Discipline Committee include a warning, suspension and financial penalties.

England exile and selection dilemma

Carse was dropped from England's Test squad for the second and third Tests against Pakistan in August in the immediate aftermath of his arrest, was not picked for the white-ball team that played Sri Lanka last month, and was overlooked for the ODI tri-series in Pakistan this month, but is currently available for international selection.

The disciplinary proceedings are unlikely to be concluded before Stephen Fleming names his squad for England's three-Test tour of South Africa in December, leaving a potentially difficult decision for the new coach.

White-ball captain Harry Brook said last month that Carse needed "time away" from international cricket after Joe Root, the Test captain, had expressed "frustration" at his decision-making. Brook's comments, reported on 21 September 2026, described his "very good mate" Carse as needing space from the international scene while a Cricket Regulator inquiry ran its course.

Precedent among England players

Carse's case echoes earlier conduct matters involving England players. Brook and Jacob Bethell were both given warnings over their future conduct after bringing the game into disrepute when they were photographed drinking in a Wellington bar the night before a one-day international against New Zealand last November. Josh Tongue, who was out with them, was also investigated but escaped without sanction as he was not named in the side, while Brook had already been fined £30,000 by the ECB after it emerged he had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the same evening.

The Cricket Regulator also conducted an investigation this summer into Ben Stokes' and Gus Atkinson's behaviour after they were alleged to have broken an ECB curfew by drinking in a Chelsea nightclub following victory in the first Test against New Zealand in June. Neither were charged despite being stood down by the ECB for the next Test, with the resultant ill-feeling from the incident believed to have contributed to Stokes' subsequent retirement from international cricket.