LONDON: World Cup winner James Vince is to stand down as captain of Hampshire after a decade in charge and move to Dubai following attacks on his family home, the English cricket county announced Wednesday.
Although he will miss the 2025 English domestic first-class County Championship or red-ball season, Vince will continue to play white-ball (limited-overs) cricket and skipper Hampshire in the T20 Blast.
The 33-year-old batsman, a member of the England squad that won the 2019 50-over World Cup on home soil, saw his family home near Hampshire’s headquarters attacked twice last year.
Vince, who said the incidents left his young family fearing for their safety, told Britain’s Daily Telegraph in July he believed the attacks were a case of mistaken identity.
“James Vince has signed a revision to the final year of his contract which fulfils his obligation to play for Hampshire Hawks in the 2025 Vitality Blast campaign and confirms that he is not planning to play red-ball cricket this year,” said a Hampshire statement.
“After 10 consecutive years as club captain, Vince will also step down from this position but will remain as team captain of Hampshire Hawks.
“In 2024, Vince 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.”
Vince added he needed to “understand what is best for my family, and combine that with the stage of my career I am at.”
He made his Hampshire debut in 2009 aged 18 and has scored over 22,000 runs for the county. Vince is the Blast’s all-time leading run scorer and has played in Hampshire’s three title-winning T20 teams, while representing England 55 times across all formats.
Vince has also been retained by the Karachi Kings for this season’s T20 Pakistan Super League on a contract worth a reported £100,000 ($122,000).
The PSL has made a one-off move from its usual February-March slot to take place between April 8 and May 19, the same time as the first half of the County Championship.
English cricket chiefs have introduced rules preventing England-contracted players or red-ball county players from appearing in overseas leagues such as the PSL that take place during the English season, with the exception of the Indian Premier League, cricket’s wealthiest T20 franchise tournament.
But the policy appears to have helped persuade Vince, who won the last of his 13 Test caps in 2018, to abandon English first-class cricket, at least temporarily, rather than reject a lucrative PSL deal.
Pakistan Super League star Vince to move to Dubai after attacks on family home
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Pakistan Super League star Vince to move to Dubai after attacks on family home
- James Vince saw his family home near Hampshire’s headquarters attacked twice last year
- He has been retained by Karachi Kings franchise for this season’s T20 Pakistan Super League
Neymar thanks Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, fans after departing to Santos
- ‘To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,’ Neymar writes on X
- ‘To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life’
BEIRUT: Brazilian forward Neymar took the opportunity on Tuesday to thank Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, and their fans after concluding his 17-month stint at the Saudi Pro League side.
“To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,” said Neymar in a social media post on X, after returning to his Brazilian club Santos after originally leaving them in 2013 to join Barcelona.
He wrote: “I gave everything to play and I wish we (had) enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you!”
Marcelo Teixeira, Santos’ president, said on social media channels: “It is the time (to come back), Neymar. It is time for you to come back to your people. To our home, to the club in our hearts.
“Welcome, our boy Ney! A boy of Vila (Belmiro, Santos’ stadium). Come back to be happy again with the white and black shirt. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
The 32-year-old, who has scored 79 international goals for his home country, moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a world-record fee of €222 million in August 2017.
Al-Hilal announced Neymar’s departure on Tuesday on X, saying: “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career at Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”
Neymar arrived at the Saudi club in August 2023 after signing from PSG, but only played seven games due to injuries.
Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “Teixeira confirms Neymar Jr’s return to the club. Six-month contract to be formally signed this week, as reported.”
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah wins ICC cricketer of the year award
- Nominees included Travis Head of Australia, English duo Joe Root and Harry Brook
- Pacer becomes fifth Indian to win award after Dravid, Tendulkar, Ashwin and Kohli
DUBAI: Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah won the ICC’s award for men’s cricketer of the year on Tuesday for his stellar performances in both the red-ball and white-ball format during 2024.
The 31-year-old right-arm paceman became the fifth Indian cricketer to win the award, after Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Ravichandran Ashwin and Virat Kohli.
“When I was a youngster, I saw many of my childhood heroes winning this great award, so (I’m) very happy,” Bumrah said.
Kohli won back-to-back awards in 2016 and 2017.
Travis Head of Australia and English duo Joe Root and Harry Brook were the other nominees for the award.
On Monday, Bumrah was also named the ICC men’s test cricketer of the year for his 71 wickets in 13 matches.
Bumrah masterminded India’s successful campaign at the T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies with 15 wickets at a staggering average of 8.26 and impressive economy of 4.17, which also earned him the player of the tournament award.
“Last year was really memorable and specially winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados will always be close to my heart and I’ll always remember it forever,” Bumrah said.
In a memorable game at the T20 World Cup, Bumrah grabbed 3-14 against archrival Pakistan in a thriller in New York which India won by six runs. He went on to bag 2-18 in the final against South Africa.
Flick backing Szczesny as Barca’s number one
- “My job is to make the decision on this position,” Flick told a news conference
- “I always look for the (good of) the team, and this is how we act“
BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Tuesday he and his staff have chosen Wojciech Szczesny over Inaki Pena as the team’s first choice goalkeeper.
The Catalan giants brought former Polish international Szczesny out of retirement as an emergency signing in October after Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffered a severe knee injury.
Pena has been the club’s number one during the first half of the season but Szczesny was chosen in the previous two matches.
“My job is to make the decision on this position... for me Tek (Szczesny) is an experienced player and he has a good personality, but both of them are great goalkeepers,” Flick told a news conference ahead of the Champions League clash with Atalanta on Wednesday.
“I decided, also with my team, my coaching staff, for Tek... both are very good, and in the past Inaki did a good job, but now I decided like that.
“I always look for the (good of) the team, and this is how we act.”
Barcelona already secured qualification directly to the last 16 of the Champions League with a 5-4 win over Benfica last week, in which Szczesny made two big mistakes which led to goals.
However Barcelona have won each of the five matches in which the former Juventus stopper has featured this season.
Barcelona will be without defender Andreas Christensen, who will miss three weeks with a calf injury, the club said in a statement.
The Danish defender had only just recovered from an Achilles tendon issue and has not played since August.
Atalanta, third in Serie A, are hoping to secure a top eight Champions League finish, with the Italian side currently seventh.
‘Amazing’ — captain Firmino praises Al-Ahli goalkeeper Mendy’s assist
- Former Chelsea goalkeeper set up Riyad Mahrez with a 75-yard pass in his team’s 5-0 win over Al-Riyadh on Sunday
JEDDAH: Al-Ahli captain Roberto Firmino has praised goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s ‘amazing’ assist for Riyad Mahrez’s goal during his team’s dominant 5-0 victory over Al-Riyadh on Sunday.
Mendy produced a 75-yard pass to help Mahrez score Al-Ahli’s final goal in the 88th minute that was so perfect, it could have been the Algerian winger himself striking the ball.
Falling to his knees after claiming a catch, the former Chelsea goalkeeper spotted a potential attack and sprang up to kick the ball towards the sprinting Mahrez on the right wing.
The former Manchester City star played it inside with his right foot expertly, smashing a first-time shot with his left from 25 yards out that soared into the top of Milan Borgan’s net. It was so good, as many Al-Ahli players ran to congratulate their goalkeeper as they did the scorer.
“It was an amazing pass, congratulations to him,” said Firmino. “For a goalkeeper to (be able to) do that… amazing. Congratulations.”
Firmino himself was on the scoresheet, tapping home the third goal from Franck Kessie’s pass for his ninth strike of the season. The victory also included two goals by Ivan Toney — “It’d have been better if it was a hat-trick,” quipped the Englishman later — and a looping header from Ziyad Al-Johani.
Kessie and Firmino also had goals ruled out by VAR, the former after a foul in the build up by the latter, and Firmino due to an offside call.
The result leaves the Jeddah team, who have won four out of their last five matches, in fifth place in the Roshn Saudi League. They are three points off Al-Nassr in fourth and five behind Al-Qadisiyah in third.
“It was a big three points,” said 33-year-old former Liverpool forward Firmino. “I’m very happy to score again and help the team. We fight for everything, and we’ll do our best to achieve our goals in the future. We just need to keep winning games.
“I love it here, I’m happy. Scoring goals helps the team and that’s my goal every game so we’re getting better day by day.”
Al-Riyadh dropped to eighth in the table after the game, with coach Sabri Lamouchi saying Matthias Jaissle’s team were “excellent.”
“I want to congratulate Al-Ahli for the win,” he said. “Luck was not on our side. I don’t think it mattered if we played with four or five defenders. We might have lost because we did a few changes in the defensive line, but we played against a big team, an organized team, and an excellent team.”
Shami returns as India bowl against England in third T20
- Fit-again pace bowler Mohammed Shami returns for the hosts
- The 34-year-old Shami last played for India in the 50-over World Cup final in November 2023
RAJKOT: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to field first against England as they look to clinch the series in the third T20 international on Tuesday.
Fit-again pace bowler Mohammed Shami returns for the hosts, who lead the five-match series 2-0, as the only change with Arshdeep Singh rested in Rajkot.
The 34-year-old Shami, who has recovered from a heel injury, last played for India in the 50-over World Cup final in November 2023 and recently returned to action in domestic cricket.
England, led by Jos Buttler, were unchanged from their previous loss on Saturday and look to stay alive in the series.
Jamie Smith will keep wicket in place of Phil Salt, who has a “stiff calf.”
Teams
India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Dhruv Jurel, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy
England: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (capt), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith (wk), Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Umpires: KN Ananthapadmanabhan (IND), Rohan Pandit (IND)
TV Umpire: Nitin Menon (IND)
Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
