England has high hopes for Brydon Carse, who has been brought into the World Cup squad as injured Reece Topley’s replacement, with the expectation that he can replicate Liam Plunkett’s success in the middle overs.
Reece Topley’s replacement unlikely to play impending matches
Carse, although arriving in Bangalore ahead of England’s match against Sri Lanka, is unlikely to be immediately considered for selection due to his last competitive match being four weeks ago. In the past, he featured in one of England’s four ODIs against New Zealand and also played for their second-string side against Ireland after impressing in the T20I series.
Born in South Africa but holding a UK passport, Carse represents Durham and Northern Superchargers in domestic cricket. He is known for his tall and powerful seamer abilities, and he can also contribute with the bat from the lower order. Since his debut in 2021, Carse has earned 12 ODI caps and three T20I caps. England captain Joe Root has expressed his admiration for Carse, stating,
“He’s a brilliant all-round package… He’s got that [Ben] Stokes element to him where sometimes, you feel like nothing is happening and he’ll pick up wickets.”
Carse is seen as a like-for-like replacement for Plunkett, who was discarded after the last World Cup. Root sees him as a “junior Plunkett” and even suggests that Carse may offer more with the bat.
Root also expressed his sympathy for Topley, who was officially ruled out of the World Cup due to a finger injury.
“The poor lad, it just doesn’t seem to stop for him,” he said. “Every time he does extremely well and gets a string of performances together where he’s playing good cricket, he just seems to get a setback.”
England faces a challenging situation in the World Cup, with three defeats in their first four games. Root, however, believes in the team’s unity and determination, stating,
“This is one of the very best [teams]… It’s a very together team.”
He emphasized the need to focus on the upcoming game against Sri Lanka, treating it like a World Cup final and taking it one game at a time. The team is determined to win and is unshackled, ready to perform at their best.
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