With the international retirement of England’s veteran pacer James Anderson in the opening Test of the summer against the West Indies at Lord’s, a few potential debuts are expected from the England selectors, and one of the brightest names in the list was Brydon Carse.
However, the Durham pacer won’t be available for selection, after getting handed a ban for three months due to breaching gambling regulations.
The ban period has been stated to be 16 months long, out of which 13 months are suspended for two years. That means Brydon Carse will again be eligible to play for his county or England team from August 28, 2024.
Ban on Brydon Carse puts England selectors under pressure
It also has been understood that the 28-year-old pacer wasn’t part of any of those matches that he gambled on, which took place in more than five-years ago in 2019. He was charged with placing 303 bets on various cricketing events between 2017 and 2019.
Also Read: Imad Wasim Suffers Injury Scare, Leaves Pakistan Sweating Ahead Of T20 World Cup 2024
‘Whilst these bets were several years ago, that is no excuse and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Brydon Carse responded in a statement.
‘I would like to thank the England and Wales Cricket Board, Durham Cricket and the Professional Cricketers’ Association for their support during this difficult time for me. I will be working hard in the next 12 weeks to ensure that I repay that support on the field when I am able to return to playing,” South Africa-born England pacer narrated.
There is no suggestion that the England pacer was involved in any of the match-fixing scandals, as he will retain his two-year England central contract.
Brydon Carse has featured in 14 ODIs, where he has picked up 15 wickets at an average of 38.80 and an economy of just under six, with a best of 5/61, since making his debut against Pakistan in 2021, at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
When it comes to the shortest format of the game, the fast bowler has been part of only three T20Is, where he has notched up four wickets at an economy of 8.25, as he made his debut against New Zealand, towards the end of the English summer in 2023.
‘We take these matters extremely seriously and do not condone any form of anti-corruption breach in cricket. We support the Cricket Regulator’s decision and their consideration of the mitigating factors in Brydon’s case.
‘He has co-operated and shown remorse for his actions. We are satisfied that Brydon has shown growth in the five years since this breach and has demonstrated a greater understanding of his responsibilities. We are hopeful that his case can serve as an educational example for other cricketers,” England Cricket Board (ECB) put in a statement.
The ban of Brydon Carse has put the England selectors under serious trouble, who are trying to find a new look bowling attack after the Lord’s Test in this summer. With no Anderson, and Stuart Broad already calling time at the end of the last summer, England are looking ahead at their future pace bowling group.
Also Read: BCCI Thinking About Letting Franchises Retain 3 Players And One RTM Card In IPL 2025 Mega Auction
Mark Wood will be playing the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, and it’s still not confirmed how fresh he would be for the West Indies series. Will the selectors go with a under-fit Jofra Archer, who is making a small stride comeback in International cricket?
England are already missed Josh Tongue for the first series due to pectoral injury. Sam Cook, who seems to be making his debut against the Caribbean team, is missing for Essex with a hamstring issue, while Saqib Mahmood isn’t fit for Lancashire for selection.
Brydon Carse would have been a great choice in that position, had he not got banned. Now it will be interesting to see if the hosts go with the likes of Olly Stone, Matt Potts or Gus Atkinson, for the West Indies and Sri Lanka series.