Even by Bazball standards, the rise of Brydon Carse is an unlikely story. Less than three months ago, the end of a ban for gambling-related crimes was approaching. Now, in New Zealand, he looks like the leader of England’s Test attack.
His growth as a person and cricketer began during his time away from the game after the ECB discovered that he had placed more than 300 bets on cricket matches between 2017 and 2019.
It was, he admitted, a “stupid mistake” that left him, for the first time in his career, with something to prove.
But the growth accelerated beyond recognition during England’s recent Test tour of Pakistan, where his nine wickets (24 each) made him the most dangerous seamer on either side. With better luck and more support from his butterfingered fielders, he could have led his team to win the series.
Above all, Carse, who had already impressed in patches during 19 ODIs and two T20 internationals dating back to 2021, learned that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and that realization has sharpened his focus.
England will go into the Ashes next winter with a plan to attack Australia with pace, and Carse intends to be front and centre.
Brydon Carse (pictured) made his Test debut last month but now looks set to be the leader of England’s bowling attack.
Carse was the standout bowler on England’s tour of Pakistan as he took nine wickets.
Carse has repaid the faith of Brendon McCullum after serving a ban from playing earlier this year.
His debut last month in Multan was an oven in more ways than one. Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius and, after Pakistan won the toss and batted first on a feather mat, Carse was unable to lift his feet until after tea on the second day, with a score of 556.
“When we finally knocked out Pakistan,” he tells Mail Sport, “Ben Stokes put his arm around me and said, ‘I promise you, conditions-wise, things won’t be any harder than this.'” wicket was flat and brutal.
‘But going into that first test, Brendon McCullum had complete confidence in my ability. He said: “Just go out and do what you do best. Don’t worry about how many races you do. “Just create opportunities and try to take wickets.” It was very simple and that’s how I enjoy playing cricket: with clarity.
‘I wouldn’t say it surprised me, but it gave me a lot of confidence. “If I can do that under those conditions, I hope it puts me in a good spot for the different situations I face.”
Carse upset all the Pakistanis, including Mohammad Rizwan, whose wicket he took three times.
But perhaps the lasting image is the roar of despair with which he took two falls in three balls off his bowling at a crucial moment in the second Test, allowing Salman Agha to play the decisive innings of the game.
“Nobody intends to drop catches,” he says. “But two out of three balls probably wasn’t what I expected. In a twisted way, this gave me even more motivation to keep running.” It’s an attitude that should serve you well when things get tough in Australia.
Carse wants to be part of a “massive year” that also includes a five-Test series with India, and believes he has the attributes – height, pace and bounce – to thrive on Australian pitches.
“Definitely,” he says. ‘They are known for having a bit more capacity and I did a Lions trip at the end of 2019. It was my first time in Australia and we had a really successful tour. If I play to my abilities, I can have an impact.”
Other bowlers could have disappeared into the ether after receiving a three-month ban that kept Carse out of cricket for much of last summer.
But upon turning 29, he used the break as a reset: a mid-career break that allowed him to improve his game. He worked first on his fitness and then on his cricket skills, with the help of Durham bowling coach Graham Onions.
“I have been used as an impact bowler at times for short, sharp spells and I know I can play that role,” he says. ‘But I said to Graham, “Let’s work on a couple of other things too.”
Carse debuted on a ‘flat and brutal’ pitch for bowlers but never stopped looking for wickets
Ben Stokes (right) told Carse the conditions would not get any tougher in his career, and he has now set his sights on playing in the Ashes next year in Australia.
“So I worked on my inswinger and being consistent in maintaining a length off the top of the stumps, the length that Jimmy Anderson bowled for so many years, because I have the ability to do that too.”
Carse was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where his parents still live. His father, James, played for Northamptonshire in 1983 and it was his British passport that eased Brydon’s path into England cricket.
He spent the summer of 2014 playing for Burnmoor in the Durham Cricket League and was quickly embraced by the county set-up. It became obvious that England, not South Africa, would be his cricketing home.
His time away from the game gave him a renewed sense of purpose and a feeling that he owed it to his club and his adopted country.
“I felt like, for the first time in my career, I had something to prove. This is what I want to do and this is the level I want to play at. I wanted to thank Durham and the ECB for standing by me. “It was a big boost to try acting.”
Success in New Zealand over the next three weeks should prepare him for a year that, not long ago, seemed out of reach.