Brydon Carse has expressed his gratitude towards the 'incredibly supportive' England setup following his swift reintegration post-ban and aims to repay the faith placed in him, starting with the remaining one-day internationals against Australia and then the Test series in Pakistan.
Carse had a mixed performance at Headingley on Saturday as England suffered their second consecutive defeat in the ODI series. He managed to dismiss Travis Head and took two wickets in two balls, but also conceded 75 runs. For Carse, however, there is significant room for improvement.
In May, he was banned for three months due to a historical breach of betting rules, which was a 16-month sentence with 13 months suspended for two years. Despite the ban, he was allowed to train and returned to play at the end of August, featuring in a couple of games for Durham before being promptly called up by England for both the white-ball squads facing Australia and the Test series against Pakistan.
Carse is deeply appreciative of the opportunity he has been given. 'The last three weeks have been very pleasing for me to be back playing. I've received full backing and support from everyone, and I'm just looking forward to playing as much cricket in an England shirt going forward,' he said.
This includes the possibility of earning his first Test cap during England's three-Test tour of Pakistan. 'I'm very excited to be going to Pakistan,' he stated. 'That's a group of players I've wanted to be involved with for several years now, despite a few setbacks.'
Carse, along with Gus Atkinson, Olly Stone, and the 20-year-old 6ft 7in rookie Josh Hull, will form a formidable speed quartet, brimming with potential but lacking experience, alongside the more seasoned Chris Woakes, Matthew Potts, and Ben Stokes. 'I watched the last series in Pakistan... the approach they [England] are taking in their Test cricket is evolving, aiming to include a couple of bowlers who can deliver extra pace. My role will involve short, sharp bursts, trying to bowl quickly and induce reverse swing,' he explained.
'If these guys can stay fit and perform, there's a strong pool of fast bowlers England can choose from, which is healthy for competition,' he added.
There will be little time to adapt between the conclusion of the ODI series in Bristol next Sunday and arriving in Pakistan just three days later. 'I'm ensuring I bowl enough overs in training to maintain my fitness,' Carse said. 'With the current schedule, my focus is entirely on the white-ball format, and the transition from white ball to red ball will happen in Pakistan when I land on October 2.'
Before that, there are three more ODIs to play, with this inexperienced England side facing a steep learning curve against the world champions. 'There's no denying that many players in this group don't play much 50-over cricket, which is the current structure of English cricket with the Hundred. It's about adapting to specific situations more quickly,' he noted.
The next challenge comes swiftly, in Durham on Tuesday.
