England fast bowler Brydon Carse has been banned for three months for placing 303 bets on cricket matches.
Carse is one of one of the men England hope will take over from Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad – but his dreams of a Test debut this summer have been wrecked, The Sun reports.
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The South African-born Durham speedster has played 14 one-dayers and three T20 matches for England.
It is understood Carse did not play in any of the matches on which he placed bets between 2017 and 2019. The ECB say he will keep his two-year England contract.
“Whilst these bets were several years ago, that is no excuse and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Carse, 28, said.
“I would like to thank the ECB, Durham Cricket and the PCA for their support during this difficult time for me.
“I’ll be working hard in the next 12 weeks to ensure that I repay that support on the field when I am able to return to playing.”
Carse was outlawed from all cricket for three months following a probe by the Cricket Regulator with a further 13 months suspended.
With Test contenders Josh Tongue, Sam Cook and Saqib Mahmood currently injured, Carse’s absence poses further problems as England seek to create a new-look Test attack.
An ECB spokesperson said: “We take these matters extremely seriously and do not condone any form of anti-corruption breach in cricket.
“We support the Cricket Regulator’s decision and their consideration of the mitigating factors in Brydon’s case.
“He has co-operated and shown remorse for his actions. We are satisfied that Brydon has shown growth in the five years since this breach and has demonstrated a greater understanding of his responsibilities.
“We are hopeful that his case can serve as an educational example for other cricketers.”
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.