England pacer Brydon Carse has revealed that he once considered amputating a toe to deal with a recurring and painful injury that sidelined him for several months.
Carse has emerged as one of England’s most promising fast-bowling prospects with 27 wickets in just five Tests. He has also been named in the squad for the opening Test against India, starting June 20 in Leeds.
The 29-year-old developed deep, infected cuts on the second toe of his left foot due to the repeated impact of his front-foot landing while bowling.
The issue, which flared up during England’s white-ball tour of India earlier this year, forced him to miss the Champions Trophy and sidelined him for three months.
“At one stage I was going to bed thinking, ‘I think I could actually do this – I think I could get rid of my second toe,’ but then the medical staff said you need it for balance, so that was quickly ruled out,” Carse told the BBC.
In a bid to manage the problem, Carse turned to unconventional solutions: switching to narrower boots, adding custom insoles, and cutting a hole in his shoe to relieve pressure on the affected toe.
“For a period of about six to eight weeks, I was on three or four different courses of antibiotics,” he said. “Eventually the wound was that deep that it ultimately needed a period of time just to heal up and close up.”
There were even initial discussions about plastic surgery after his early return from the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, but rest proved to be the best solution. Carse returned to first-class cricket in late May and featured in all three ODIs against the West Indies, playing a key role in England’s 3-0 sweep.
The dressing room, meanwhile, hasn’t let him forget the ordeal.
“I try not to mention the toe in the changing room any more because people are sick of it. It’s a bit of a running joke – my second toe,” he said with a laugh.
