Brydon Carse faces no charges after Derby investigation is dropped
Brydon Carse will face no criminal charges after Derbyshire police closed an investigation into an alleged assault in Derby city centre.
The force confirmed the case is closed with no action to be taken, ending almost a month of uncertainty for the England fast bowler. The decision was reported by The Guardian on 18 September.
Police had first said a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in the city centre. He was de-arrested shortly afterwards after agreeing to leave the area. Officers later said they were investigating allegations of an assault in the city centre, with no arrests made.
That second inquiry was linked to the night out involving Carse. It is now closed.
The incident followed Durham's 338-run win over Derbyshire in the County Championship, England's domestic red-ball competition. Carse was on a night out in Derby with Durham teammates after the match.
Images circulated on social media on 23 August showing Carse in handcuffs surrounded by police officers. The England and Wales Cricket Board said at the time that Carse was being investigated over an incident, as reported by Reuters. He was not on England duty when it happened.
The fallout for his international career was immediate. Carse had been a non-playing member of England's squad for the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley before being released to play county cricket for Durham. After the arrest, he was left out for the rest of that series, a Test being a five-day international. England went on to win the series 3-0 without him.
He was then left out of the England white-ball squad for the T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka, despite being available for selection. T20 and ODI are the two shorter international formats, decided in hours rather than days.
No police case remains. Carse still faces a further investigation by the Cricket Regulator, the independent body that handles discipline in the English game, over potential action by the ECB.
He is employed by the ECB on a two-year central contract, a full-time England deal, with 12 months remaining.
For fans, the question now is selection. The police file is closed, but Carse must wait to learn whether England's selectors and the Regulator will clear the way for a recall.
