Root demands higher professionalism after Carse arrest

England Test captain Joe Root has demanded higher standards of professionalism from his squad following the arrest of fast bowler Brydon Carse, an incident Root described as a distraction from the team's on-field achievements. Carse was dropped from the squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's, which begins on Thursday, August 27, after videos emerged showing him being led away by police in handcuffs following an incident at a nightclub in Derby on Saturday, August 22. The 31-year-old was referred to the Cricket Regulator. Root, visibly annoyed, stated he was "hacked off" that the team's focus had shifted to off-field behaviour after they secured a dominant innings victory over Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley last week. He led a "robust" team meeting on Tuesday, August 25, to reinforce expectations. Fast bowler Josh Tongue confirmed the message was clear. "We had a chat before training yesterday as Joe said. It was a very good conversation and he made it clear what he expects from us," Tongue told reporters at Lord's on Wednesday, August 26.