Key says Carse could return as England publish updated contracted players list

Rob Key said Brydon Carse can play for England again despite an ongoing investigation into an incident outside a Derby nightclub in August, as England published their updated list of contracted players on Monday. The Durham bowler has been charged by the Cricket Regulator with breaching England and Wales Cricket Board professional conduct rules and remains available for selection while taking time away from international cricket.

Carse has played 14 Tests and 44 white-ball matches for England and was arrested then de-arrested after the Derby incident, with Derbyshire Police subsequently taking no action over allegations of an assault. He is among 39 players named in the updated contracts list and the two-year deal he was given last year runs until the autumn of 2027. Carse has not been part of an England squad since the Derby episode as he steps away from the international set-up pending the Regulator process.

Asked about Carse's prospects on the Test Match Special podcast, Key said: "Yeah, I can do, depending what happens with the outcome of that [the Regulator charge]." Key added: "Myself, like a lot of people who work for the ECB, you get in these jobs to make some decisions that help English cricket and you also want players to be able to maximise their potential and have great careers. You don't get in them to sit on calls about all the things that have happened off the field over the last bit."

England also confirmed new-look backroom teams beneath Test head coach Stephen Fleming and white-ball coach Brendon McCullum. Fleming has recruited Richard Dawson, who leaves his position as Glamorgan head coach, alongside former England wicketkeeper James Foster and South African Eric Simons, with Fleming having worked with Foster and Simons at Chennai Super Kings. Marcus Trescothick, who took interim charge of the Test team for the home series against Pakistan, remains with the red-ball group. McCullum retains Sarah Taylor, Jeetan Patel and Tim Southee among his core staff.

Of the 39 players awarded deals, 30 have full central contracts and nine are on development contracts, a larger list made possible after high-earners such as Ben Stokes and Mark Wood retired from international cricket and freed up budget space. Eleven players, including Test captain Joe Root and white-ball captain Harry Brook, have been handed two-year contracts, and in an unprecedented move for an uncapped player pace bowler Henry Crocombe has been given a two-year deal. When asked if a lack of extension for Carse signalled England's view on his future, Key replied: "No," replied the former Kent batter. "I think it means if he gets a chance to come back and play for England he's got to try to maximise his career and be the best bowler he possibly can be. "That investigation is going on with the Regulator. I don't know a lot about what happens in that investigation, because that is with them and we deal with that afterwards. There's nothing really I can say about that. We haven't had those conversations. We'll find out more in due course. We'll find out more when that investigation comes to a head."

England's centrally contracted players: Joe Root* (Yorkshire), Harry Brook* (Yorkshire), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Jofra Archer* (Sussex), Gus Atkinson* (Surrey), Sonny Baker* (Hampshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Jacob Bethell* (Warwickshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox* (Essex), Henry Crocombe* (Sussex/Surrey), Sam Curran* (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Will Jacks* (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue* (Nottinghamshire)

*Denotes two-year deal through until 30 September 2028.

England development contracted players: James Coles (Sussex), Mason Crane (Glamorgan), Josh Hull (Leicestershire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ben McKinney (Durham), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Thomas Rew (Somerset). Matthew Revis (Yorkshire), Mitch Stanley (Lancashire).

Henry Crocombe is one of five specialist fast bowlers to receive a multi-year deal, joining Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue. Before the Derby incident, Carse had not played for England since the Ashes in January because of a wrist injury; prior to that he was an international regular across formats and was the only England seamer to play in all five Tests in Australia. Alongside Crocombe, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Dan Lawrence, Tom Banton, Sam Cook and Matt Fisher have full central contracts for the first time, Ollie Robinson returns to the list after missing out for the past two years following a strong summer Test return, and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir remains the only specialist red-ball spinner on the list. Mason Crane and Liam Patterson-White have been offered development deals as an indication of how England could grow their Test spin-bowling options.

Kevin Pietersen will work with the white-ball teams in the run-up to the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa next year.