Harry Brook has welcomed Kevin Pietersen’s work on England’s batting against spin as his side prepare to face Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, 22 September. England have made three changes to their previous ODI side, with the series offering a different test after their 3–0 T20 sweep.
Brook’s measured backing for Carse
Carse has not been selected for England in any format since a late-night incident in Derby in August in which he was arrested and subsequently de-arrested. Derbyshire Police confirmed on Friday that their investigation into an alleged assault had concluded with no further action taken. The 31-year-old Durham seamer nonetheless remains subject to a separate investigation by the Cricket Regulator, and the England and Wales Cricket Board has indicated he will take time to work through the issues that arose from the incident.
Brook, speaking to BBC Sport ahead of Tuesday’s game, described Carse as a very good mate with whom he has spoken at length, and said his view was that the fast bowler simply needs time away from the international scene while working on things behind the scenes. Brook added that he hoped Carse would be ready at some point in the future, and acknowledged that when the bowler’s availability comes into focus, a selection debate will follow. Brook told BBC Sport that Carse had been bowling extremely well for Durham and was a very good cricketer.
White-ball head coach Brendon McCullum had already stated that Carse needs to get his house in order before a recall can be considered, while new Test head coach Stephen Fleming discussed the standards expected of England players over the weekend. Brook echoed that sentiment, telling the Guardian that McCullum’s message was that the squad want to be one of the fittest and strongest teams in the world and that achieving that requires proper preparation on and off the field.
Pietersen’s impact already felt
Tuesday’s match at Durham is England’s first ODI since Pietersen was brought in by McCullum as a white-ball mentor in preparation for the 2027 50-over World Cup in southern Africa. On Monday, Pietersen led a training session focused on playing spin bowling, and Brook told a Sky Sports press conference that the session had centred on picking the length of spin deliveries — a skill he identified as central to improving strike rotation in the middle overs, an area where he said England need to do better in 50-over cricket.
Brook said that Pietersen had been good to have around, with informal conversations over coffee about how the former England captain sees the game proving as valuable as the structured sessions. Brook told Sky Sports that Pietersen was a hero to many of the current squad growing up, and that having someone of his calibre available to offer guidance was a genuine benefit. Brook also cited Pietersen alongside Joe Root and Marcus Trescothick as players whose methods against spin were worth studying.
Three changes to the XI
England have made three alterations from the side that beat India by 27 runs at Lord’s on 19 July to win a 2-1 ODI series. Jacob Bethell is absent after knee surgery, with Tom Banton coming in to open the batting. Sam Curran is also unavailable through injury, replaced by Jamie Overton in an all-rounder role. The most pressing change concerns leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who sustained a hand injury during the T20 series-sealing win at Emirates Old Trafford on Saturday and will miss at least the opener while awaiting scan results. Rehan Ahmed, aged 22, steps in as the wrist-spin option, with Will Jacks and Root available to provide finger-spin support.
England XI: first ODI vs Sri Lanka, 22 September 2026, Chester-le-Street
| Pos | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Banton | Opener |
| 2 | Ben Duckett | Opener |
| 3 | Joe Root | Batter |
| 4 | Harry Brook (c) | Batter |
| 5 | Jos Buttler (wk) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 6 | Will Jacks | All-rounder |
| 7 | Rehan Ahmed | Wrist-spinner |
| 8 | Jamie Overton | All-rounder |
| 9 | Gus Atkinson | Seamer |
| 10 | Jofra Archer | Seamer |
| 11 | Josh Tongue | Seamer |
Competitive context: T20 heights, ODI work to do
England carry considerable momentum into the series after sweeping Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20I leg — winning by 119 runs in Southampton, six wickets at Sophia Gardens, and eight wickets at Emirates Old Trafford — a sequence that lifted them to the top of the T20 world rankings. They have won 23 of their last 26 completed T20 internationals.
The ODI picture demands more scrutiny. England are currently ranked seventh in the format, one place below Sri Lanka in sixth, according to the Guardian. Brook told Sky Sports that the squad want to play a higher-octane style of cricket and put the opposition under pressure with bat and ball, and told BBC Sport that, with World Cup qualification now secured, the focus can shift towards identifying the squad and XI for the tournament.
The series concludes on Sunday, 27 September at The Kia Oval before England travel to Pakistan in October for a tri-series also involving Sri Lanka. BBC Sport reported that multi-format seamers including Archer, Tongue, Atkinson and possibly Sonny Baker are likely to be rested for the subsequent T20 leg in Australia in November given the tight turnaround before a Test tour of South Africa in December under Fleming. Squads for both tours are expected to be named next week alongside a new round of central contracts.