McCullum Urges Carse to Settle Personal Affairs Before England Return

Derbyshire Police have confirmed an ongoing assault investigation connected to the incident. Carse will face an investigation from the Cricket Regulator once the police matter is resolved.

The 31-year-old was removed from the Test squad for the Pakistan series and subsequently overlooked for the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka, which begin Tuesday with the first of three T20Is. The ECB confirmed Carse remained available for selection, though his omission came with a statement that he must “work through the issues that led to the Derby incident and take time for a proper reset”.

McCullum has long admired Carse’s never-say-die attitude and has been in contact with the Durham seamer. All 14 of his Test caps came under McCullum, with close friend Ben Stokes — who was also present during the Derby night out — serving as captain.

Nevertheless, McCullum emphasized that Carse must change his behavior following this latest indiscretion. Although Carse finished the Ashes as England’s leading wicket-taker, he was among several players indulging off the field. He was spotted out in Adelaide after the Ashes-losing third Test defeat, despite Stokes ordering players to remain at the team hotel.

McCullum cited Carse as an example of the required standards, noting that Pietersen reinforced this message to the players.

“I’ve spoken to Carsey a lot,” said McCullum. “Again, it’s the same message, not just to the guys within the squad at the moment, but also to those who have got aspirations of representing England in white-ball cricket over the next 12 to 18 months. We want to play the style of cricket that comes with responsibility, it comes with physical attributes which you need to be ready for. And you need to make good decisions off the field that allow you to be able to be the best version of yourself.”

“Kev mention it in the dressing room earlier, as well. He said we need to give ourselves every opportunity to try and get to the level and get to the achievements that we want. And that includes a lot of the responsibilities that we make socially and off the field, too.”

“I hope it’s crystal clear what is expected… it comes with responsibilities, and that’s just life living in the fast lane of international cricket. There is a lot of talent around – if you’re not prepared to do that, there are other guys who will be given those opportunities.”

Jordan Cox, Kevin Pietersen and Brendon McCullum share a lighter moment at training•John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images

“As far as Carsey is concerned, it’s important for Carsey he gets his house in order. We know he’s an excellent cricketer who has done well when he’s played for England. It’s a good chance for him now to get his house in order and then push for selection for the next opportunity that arises.”

“I want us to be the fittest, strongest, most robust, dynamic one-day and T20 side in the world. That comes with hard work, commitment to training, the physical element, but also the high-octane style we want to play comes with responsibilities off the field to look after yourself.”

Pietersen’s role as batting mentor through to the 2027 ODI World Cup marks his first official ECB position since an acrimonious end to his international playing career in 2014. He has been a visible presence since joining the current cohort on Sunday, interacting with McCullum and Brook while putting batters through their paces.

McCullum was the one who reached out to Pietersen, despite previous criticism of his operation. In 2025, he accused England of not netting during an India ODI series leading into the Champions Trophy. McCullum was forced to rebuff those claims, which Pietersen raised when the pair discussed this opportunity.

McCullum believes Pietersen’s decorated career and straight-talking will push the team to greater heights while keeping him sharp as head coach.

“When I rang him [Pietersen] the first time and said ‘would you be interested in working with England?’ I think he thought I was joking for a start. Then he mentioned ‘I’ve been quite critical of you guys in the past’ and I said ‘I have no problem with that, mate’.”

“There’s parts of it I agree with and parts which I won’t agree with – and that’s fine. That’s the beauty of Kev coming in. He’s obviously got an incredible pedigree as a player and a lot of guys grew up idolising Kev.”

“He’s brought a ton of energy to the setup within the last 24 hours. Him and I talk regularly and, for me, he’s one of those guys who’s got so much on in his life, for him to give up those things to help this cricket team, to get to the levels we want and where we’re challenging for World Cups, we’re incredibly lucky.”

“I’ve mentioned to him that I don’t want him to be buried in one specific skillset. I want him to look across the environment and challenge me privately around ways we can improve or things we can do differently.”

“Kev was an unbelievable player and he was a winner. He was a guy who left no stone unturned in terms of his own preparation. He believed in himself in the big moments and more often than not he performed in those big moments. They are attributes we would love to rub off on our talented players that sit within the dressing room.”

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