England fast bowler Brydon Carse was briefly detained by police outside a nightclub in Derby after an incident on Saturday night. A video circulating on social media appears to show the 31-year-old being handcuffed and surrounded by four police officers, while former England captain Ben Stokes and Durham teammate Matthew Potts can be seen nearby.
While Stokes wasn't arrested or placed in handcuffs, his presence at the incident has raised eyebrows. The left-hander had recently breached England’s midnight curfew and was dropped for a match. He returned only to announce his retirement from the format all together.
Stokes has previously admitted that cricket has a long-standing relationship with alcohol but rejected claims that the current England team has a drinking problem. The latest incident, however, is likely to bring the debate back into focus.
Carse was reportedly celebrating with his Durham teammates after their victory. He had been part of England’s squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan and was also one of England’s leading wicket-takers during the Ashes in Australia.
The England and Wales Cricket Board is understood to be looking into what happened outside the nightclub. Carse has not been charged over the incident and was released without charge.
"We are aware of an incident which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating," the ECB said in a statement.
The incident comes as England cricket faces renewed questions over its drinking culture. The issue was highlighted during the Ashes after reports of players drinking heavily during a break in Noosa, while other England players have also been involved in recent nightclub incidents.
Neither Carse or Stokes have yet commented on the incident.
