England cricketer moves to Dubai following ‘several attacks on his family home’

England and Hampshire cricketer James Vince has ‘taken the decision’ to move to Dubai following ‘several attacks on his family home’.

Vince’s property near Southampton was damaged by criminals twice last year, first in the early hours of April 15 and then on May 11.

Vince and his family were believed to be inside the property when two cars on the driveway were damaged and the front windows of the house were smashed.

The 33-year-old has been one of the best players in county cricket for well over a decade, scoring 46 centuries across all formats.

Vince has played 55 games for England – including 13 Test matches – and was part of the squad that won the World Cup in 2019.

Hampshire announced in a statement on Wednesday that Vince would ‘take a break’ from red-ball cricket in 2025 and only play T20s for the county as well as The Hundred.

Vince has stepped down from his role as club captain, having guided Hampshire to three T20 Blast titles during ten consecutive years at the helm.

Hants also revealed Vince’s intention to move to Dubai, saying in a statement: ”In 2024, James endured a challenging year on a personal level, following several attacks on his family home.

‘As a result, the family have taken the decision to move to Dubai.’

Explaining his decision, Vince said: ‘I love Hampshire, it’s been my club and home for 16 years.

‘I want to be able to maintain my best to keep delivering for Hampshire in T20 cricket, and hopefully even further our success in the competition.

‘I also need to understand what is best for my family, and combine that with the stage of my career I am at.

‘I am so grateful to everyone at Utilita Bowl for supporting me last year through a really tough time, and for allowing me to make this next step.’

Vince’s new deal with Hampshire will allow him to play in the Pakistan Super League, which runs from early April to mid-May, a key period at the start of the County Championship season.

The batter had already opted not to feature for Hampshire during the Global Super League over the winter after being signed by Abu Dhabi T10 side Delhi Bulls.

Director of Men’s Cricket at Hampshire, Giles White, said: ‘James has been at the heart of the club for the best part of 20-years, showing absolute commitment on and off the field as the team’s leading batter and captain.

‘We recognise that this announcement will be tinged with disappointment for many fans but hope everyone will join us in celebrating what he has given to our club over many years and supporting him as he fulfils his commitment to continue leading the Hawks in the 2025 Vitality Blast.’

Vince is regarded as one of the most talented English batters of his generation and admired by fans for his elegant technique and fluent style of play.

Since his professional debut in 2009, Vince has scored nearly 12,500 first-class runs for Hampshire at an average of 41.

He played in England’s run to the World Cup final in 2019 after Jason Roy suffered an injury but missed out in the latter stages as Roy returned to the team.

Vince, a regular in white-ball franchise tournaments around the world, scored his first international century against Pakistan in 2021 and last featured for England in March 2023.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.