Brydon Carse has expressed his gratitude to the "incredibly supportive" England team after quickly reintegrating following a ban. He aims to repay their faith in him, starting with the remaining one-day internationals against Australia and continuing into the Test series in Pakistan.
At Headingley on Saturday, Carse had a mixed performance as England suffered their second defeat in the ODI series. While he claimed the key wicket of Travis Head and took two wickets in two balls to halt Australia’s innings, he also conceded 75 runs. However, Carse remains optimistic, seeing only improvement ahead.
Carse had been banned for three months at the end of May due to a historic breach of betting rules. His punishment included a 16-month suspension, with 13 months deferred over two years. Returning to action in late August, Carse played a few matches for Durham before being called up to England’s squads for both the ODIs against Australia and the upcoming Test series in Pakistan. Reflecting on his return, he expressed his gratitude, saying, “The last few weeks have been really positive for me. Everyone has fully supported me, and I’m excited to keep playing for England as much as I can."
Carse is particularly thrilled about the possibility of earning his first Test cap during England's three-match series in Pakistan. He shared his excitement, saying that joining the Test team is something he has long desired, despite facing several setbacks.
The fast bowler will be part of a potent pace attack, joining forces with Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, and 6ft 7in Josh Hull. Although the group is full of potential, they lack significant experience, with veterans like Chris Woakes, Matthew Potts, and Ben Stokes providing balance. Carse noted that England's recent Test approach in Pakistan has shifted toward utilising bowlers with extra pace, and he sees his role as delivering short, sharp bursts of speed, aiming to reverse swing the ball. He remarked, “If we can all stay fit and perform, England will have a great crop of fast bowlers to choose from."
The transition between formats will be swift, as the ODI series concludes in Bristol next Sunday, and the team departs for Pakistan three days later. Carse is preparing himself by maintaining his bowling workload during training, explaining that the adjustment from white-ball cricket to red-ball cricket will happen once they arrive in Pakistan. “I’ll make the switch when I land on October 2,” he added.
Before then, England faces three more ODIs in what has been a steep learning curve for the relatively inexperienced squad against the reigning world champions. Carse acknowledged that many in the group haven't played much 50-over cricket and emphasised the need to adapt quickly to different situations. The next challenge is set for Tuesday in Durham, weather permitting, after Sunday’s One-Day Cup final between Somerset and Glamorgan was washed out at Trent Bridge, with a similarly bleak forecast for Monday’s reserve day.