Brydon Carse ready to return to 'England environment', says Marcus North, as seamer named in Lions squad
Published 09/11/2026 at 14:29 GMT
Brydon Carse has been named in the Lions squad, opening the door to a potential return to the England Test set-up ahead of their tour of South Africa. Indeed, England selector Marcus North said Carse is ready to be introduced "back into the England environment".
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The pace bowler could provide cover for Josh Tongue, who will miss England’s opening Test in Johannesburg on December 17 to be present for the birth of his second child.
Carse has not featured for England since his arrest outside a bar in Derby in August, although he was subsequently de-arrested.
Derbyshire Police have since ended their investigation, but the 31-year-old remains under investigation by the Cricket Regulator after being charged and is awaiting a verdict.
"The past few months, under investigation, there has been a time where he has stood back, a time of reflection," England selector North said on Monday.
"It's obviously been a challenging time for Brydon, it's one that we haven't felt that the demands of playing international cricket and what he was dealing with wasn't necessarily right for Brydon or for us.
"There have been numerous conversations over this period. The conclusion is we feel he is in a place where we feel we can introduce him back into the England environment, and we feel the Lions is the right place for him to come."
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Carse has continued to play for Durham since the incident, but England previously explained that he needed to spend time away from the international arena.
He will be competing with the likes of Henry Crocombe, Olly Stone, Matthew Fisher, Eddie Jack, Matthew Potts and Mitchell Stanley for the chance to cover for Tongue.
North has admitted that ”one or two” players from the Lions contingent will be called into the senior squad.
"This is where I feel using the Lions tour to our advantage - we have a very strong bowling group in that Lions programme," he said.
"That enables us to have a look at where they are at, under competition and training."
England squad for three-Test series in South Africa: Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Liam Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
When is England men’s white-ball tour of Australia?
England’s white-ball tour of Australia will get underway on November 13, with all three ODIs and each of the five T20 Internationals set to be shown live with TNT Sports on HBO Max.
Down Under schedule
England Men in Australia
- November 13, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 1st One Day International, Perth Stadium, Perth
- November 15, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 2nd One Day International, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
- November 18, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 3rd One Day International, Bellerive Oval, Hobart
- November 21, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 1st T20I, MCG, Melbourne
- November 24, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 2nd T20I, Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara
- November 27, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 3rd T20I, The Gabba, Brisbane
- November 29, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 4th T20I, SCG, Sydney
- December 2, 2026 – Australia Men vs England, 5th T20I, Manuka Oval, Canberra
The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is HBO Max, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes live sport and entertainment in one destination.
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