Harry Brook has welcomed Brydon Carse back into the England fold, six months after the seamer’s rollercoaster Ashes campaign.
Carse was the tourists’ top wicket-taker Down Under, claiming 22 scalps at an average of 30, and was the only fast bowler in the away dressing room to stay fit for all five Tests of a punishing series.
But it was far from an unqualified success for the Durham quick, whose struggle for consistency saw him leak runs at 4.81 an over.
The 30-year-old subsequently suffered wrist and elbow injuries at the Indian Premier League and has only made his return to county cricket in the past week, with three games in the Vitality Blast.
But England have already seen enough to call him straight back into the squad for the last two games of their Metro Bank ODI Series against India, which the tourists lead 1-0 after a comfortable win at Edgbaston.
And skipper Harry Brook is delighted to welcome back a player who is known for giving his all.
“Brydon has been a very good bowler in all formats for England. It’s awesome to have him back and he’s up for selection for the rest of the series,” said Brook, ahead of Thursday’s clash in Cardiff.
“He’s aggressive, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he always comes back for more. He never drops his pace, he’s always there and thereabouts and he’d run through a brick wall for you.”
Carse trained with the team in Birmingham and is likely to come into the XI as England look to find a winning formula in 50-over cricket, which was seen a dramatic dip in results compared to their resurgent T20 side.
His return could see a rest for Jofra Archer or Josh Tongue, who have both played all three formats in a busy few weeks, with Gus Atkinson and Saqib Mahmood also on hand.
England could choose to rebalance their side by losing one of their spin bowling all-rounders but the likeliest candidate, Liam Dawson, scored a crucial 68 in the first ODI. Without his stand of 121 with Joe Root, India would have won at a landslide.
The 36-year-old is having an unexpected renaissance under Brook but is not taking anything for granted as plans build towards the World Cup in 2027.
“I see myself as an all-rounder. In this team I’m picked more of the bowler but it was pleasing to contribute and get a score,” he said.
“I’ve said a numerous amount of times, at the age I’ve got to, I never thought I’d play as much as I have in the last year. Obviously I’m very pleased to be back playing and I can hopefully continue to contribute.
“I don’t know if I need to show anyone what I do. I’ve played for a long time now, played a lot of List A cricket and I don’t think I need to prove anything to anyone. I think people know what I can do, and that’s probably not going to change.”
