Angry England captain Joe Root declared himself “really hacked off” by the latest drinking drama to engulf his side, claiming they must now work hard to regain public trust.
Pace bowler Brydon Carse was removed from the squad for this week’s second Test against Pakistan after joining a growing list of contracted players who have involved in alcohol-related incidents in the past year.
Carse was detained by police on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly outside a nightclub on Saturday night after celebrating Durham’s County Championship win over Derbyshire alongside team-mates including former England skipper Ben Stokes and seamer Matthew Potts.
He was subsequently cut by England for Thursday’s match at Lord’s, with an investigation under way by the independent Cricket Regulator.
But for the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Root, it was another staggering but familiar setback.
Stokes’ shock international retirement came after he and Gus Atkinson were stood down for a Test after breaching contractual obligations on a late night out in London at the start of the summer, a boozy beach break in Noosa was widely pilloried as symptomatic of a dismal Ashes campaign and white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer in Wellington last October while drinking the night before a one-day international against New Zealand.
Reacting to the latest disciplinary flare-up, which broke just days after Root announced the abolition of a midnight curfew, Root said: “If I’m being brutally honest I’m really hacked off.
“I’m really disappointed that, after last week’s performance (winning by an innings at Headingley), we’re sat here and we’re talking about something that is not related to it at all.
“I’ve spoken to Brydon and when I first found out my first concern was him as a person. I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn in saying he’s very upset, very apologetic and understands his actions. I’m sure when he gets his chance, he will say that himself.
“But it’s not the isolated incident itself, it’s the fact we continuously keep making stupid mistakes away from the game and it’s detracting from what we are doing on the field.”
As for the wider reputational damage sustained over several months, Root admitted he had a battle to win back hearts and minds.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, but in many ways we are going to have to earn a lot of trust back,” he said. “It’s something we are going to have to live and breathe, consistently.”
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