Last Updated on 22 seconds ago by Dom Harris
Joe Root cut a furious figure in his latest press conference as another off-field incident, this time involving Brydon Carse, overshadowed his successful return as England Test captain last week.
Less than 48 hours after England comprehensively thrashed Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley to go 1-0 up in the series, it emerged fast bowler Carse had been handcuffed and led away by police following an incident on Saturday night in Derby, with Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts also on the scene.
Carse had been playing for Durham in the County Championship, who had just completed an emphatic victory of their own away at Derbyshire to extend their lead at the top of Division Two, though was in the squad for the second Test at Lord’s – he has since been withdrawn with an investigation underway.
‘Really disappointed’
Speaking ahead of the Lord’s Test, Root said: “If I’m being brutally honest, I’m really hacked off.
“I’m really disappointed that after last week’s performance we are sat here and we’re talking about something not related to it at all.
“I’ve spoken to Brydon when I first found out, my first concern was for him as a person. In my time in the dressing room, you obviously develop personal relationships with players.
“I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn when I say he’s been very upset and has been very apologetic and understands his actions. I’m sure when he gets his chance, he will say that himself.
“It’s not the isolated incident itself, it’s the fact that we continually keep making stupid mistakes away from the game and it’s detracting from what we’re doing on the field.”
The Carse incident is the latest in a line of problematic episodes for England to manage, with Harry Brook involved in an altercation with a bouncer in New Zealand last year, Ben Duckett appearing drunk while filmed during the infamous mid-Ashes trip to Noosa, as well as Stokes and Gus Atkinson breaking curfew at a nightclub in the aftermath of the first Test against New Zealand in June.
Stokes recently denied that England have a drinking problem, when speaking on a podcast to former teammates Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler, suggesting instead that cricket as a whole has a deeply-embedded alcohol culture.
On his reinstatement as Test captain, Root immediately removed the curfew imposed over the winter and entrusted his players to act as ‘adults’.
‘We’re going to have to earn a lot of trust back’
Asked about a potential image problem within English cricket, Root added: “We have an opportunity going forward.
“Clearly we’re not portraying ourselves as we want to. We’ve got an opportunity to build a culture that is very strong and we can be proud of that’s player-driven.
“That’s not going to happen overnight. We’ve had conversations about what is expected from us, what it means and takes to play for England.
“We want to create something we can be proud of, what people following us can be proud of. We want supporters to look at us and revere, not just what we do on the field but off it as well.
“Over the next little while, as leader of this team, with Stephen [Fleming], and with the group of players as well, is creating something that is just that.”
Root continued: “We have a chance to build something that lives alongside what we achieved last week on the field. I thought it was a brilliant performance. The way we played was exceptional.
“We have to align that with being exceptional off the field as well and understand what that looks like and how we want to represent ourselves and our nation.
“With what we’ve got coming up, there are plenty of opportunities to do that. But like I say, it’s not going to happen overnight, in many ways we’re going to have to earn a lot of trust back.
“And something we’re going to have to live and breathe consistently.”
The second Test between England and Pakistan gets underway on Thursday as the hosts go in search of securing a much-needed series win.
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