Brydon Carse dropped from England squad for third Test

Brydon Carse has been left out of England's squad for the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, with police still investigating an assault allegation linked to a late-night incident at a Derby bar last month.

The Durham seamer, 31, was briefly arrested and placed in handcuffs over the incident. The Cricket Regulator is also investigating. Carse had already been dropped for last week's second Test, having been in the squad but not the XI for the first game.

Sonny Baker replaced him for the second Test but did not play. He stays in the 15-man squad named by Joe Root, which has changed from Lord's only through the absence of Matthew Fisher alongside Carse. Shoaib Bashir, Sam Cook and Ollie Pope also remain in the squad without having played at Lord's.

England sealed the series with victory at Lord's. Marcus Trescothick, the interim coach, said the seam attack of Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson stands to gain from continuing to play together.

«we’re not going to ease off the gas The more experience everyone gets together, then it sort of fits into place how you want it to be».

Pakistan go into the final Test in disarray by comparison. They sacked Sarfaraz Ahmed as head coach on Monday and dropped seven players, five of whom had appeared in at least one of the first two Tests. With 18 players in their original squad, they could in theory field a side without picking any of the seven replacements, five of whom are uncapped — though the departing group includes two of their four bowlers.

Carse's continued absence, with the police and regulator inquiries still open, leaves his place in the side beyond this series in some doubt.