London: James Vince has quit first-class cricket for 2025 in a move that will enable him to play in the Pakistan Super League despite the ECB’s new policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).
Vince will continue to lead Hampshire’s T20 side but has stepped down as club captain after nine seasons in charge, and will play no part in their County Championship campaign this summer.
Vince, 33, was retained by Karachi Kings ahead of the PSL draft on Monday. The ECB announced in November that it will only grant NOCs – the paperwork required for players to feature in overseas leagues – to white-ball specialists for tournaments that take place during the English season, with the notable exception of the IPL.
The new policy, and the PCB’s decision to shift its flagship tournament into a new April-May window, left Vince with a choice between skipping the PSL – at significant financial cost – or renegotiating the final year of his Hampshire contract to become a white-ball specialist. He has chosen the latter, in a move confirmed by the club on Wednesday morning.
“I love Hampshire,” Vince said. “It’s been my club and home for 16 years, so 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 [the Blast]. I also need to understand what is best for my family, and combine that with the stage of my career I am at.”
Hampshire cited Vince’s decision to relocate his family to Dubai – where he is currently playing for Gulf Giants – as a major factor in his new deal, following a series of unexplained attacks on their home in the county last year. “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 said.
Vince is the first high-profile player to make a major career decision informed by the ECB’s new policy and even if, at 33, he was unlikely to add to his 13 Test caps, his move is significant. He has captained Hampshire since 2015 and has been the linchpin of their batting line-up, scoring 29 hundreds and averaging 41.22 across his 197 first-class matches for them.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore hits Imad Wasim down the ground, Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans, PSL, Karachi, February 14, 2023
Players reacted furiously when the ECB announced its new policy in November, threatening legal action, but the board has dug its heels in since. Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said last month that the policy is designed “to defend our game” and that the collective interest of English cricket “takes precedence over the priorities of an individual”.
