England have kept faith with Sonny Baker for the third and final Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, confirming the young seamer’s place in an unchanged core pace group while Brydon Carse remains out of contention.
Carse, 31, has been absent since an incident outside a Derby nightclub on August 22, when police briefly handcuffed and arrested him. He was dropped for the second Test at Lord’s and remains under investigation, so his wait for a recall goes on.
Baker’s retention is the clearest signal of England’s thinking. They are 2-0 up, hunting a clean sweep, and have chosen continuity over experimentation for the series closer in Birmingham on September 9. The one alteration is the omission of Matthew Fisher, who drops out of the squad.
With the urn of this particular contest already effectively sealed, England now head to Edgbaston not to protect a lead, but to finish the job.
