Brydon Carse replaces Reece Topley in England's World Cup squad
Young pacer Brydon Carse has replaced the injured Reece Topley in England's squad for the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. The England Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the same on Monday (October 23). Carse will arrive in Bengaluru ahead of England's match against Sri Lanka on Thursday. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer, who was in the side as a traveling reserve, is yet not match-ready.
Who is Brydon Carse?
Carse, 28, was born in South Africa. He plays for Durham and Northern Superchargers in domestic cricket. The right-arm pacer can generate serious pace besides scoring handy runs down the order. Making his England debut in 2021, Carse has 12 ODI and three T20I caps under his belt. However, he is unlikely to be considered for selection, having last played competitively four weeks ago.
Unlucky Topley ruled out
Topley, who has struggled with fitness issues throughout his career, suffered a fractured left index finger during England's 229-run defeat to South Africa. Though he returned to the field after sustaining the injury and claimed 3/88 in 8.5 overs, the left-arm pacer could not arrive to bat. As Topley claimed eight wickets in the competition, his absence would be a massive loss for England.
Root compares Carse to Plunkett
Joe Root compared Carse to former England pacer Liam Plunkett, who was instrumental to England's 2019 WC triumph. "He almost feels like a junior Plunkett," Root said. "He's very similar. Pudsy [Plunkett] might not like me saying this, but he's probably got even more to offer with the bat as well." Carse has claimed 14 ODI wickets at 33.92. The tally includes a fifer.
A poor start for England
Defending champions England are in a spot of bother, having lost three of their first four games. This includes a shocking defeat against Afghanistan. Massive defeats against SA and New Zealand mean their net run rate is only better than the Afghan team (-1.250). Jos Buttler's men now need to win almost all their remaining five games to qualify for the semi-finals.
