忠誠心よりお金？ジェームズ・ビンス、PSL 2025に出場するために一流クリケットに別れを告げる

Cricket enthusiasts fear that franchises shouldn’t take over the loyalty factor from domestic competitions but James Vince has done exactly that. The England opener, who is a globetrotter as a franchise player, has just decided to quite first-class cricket in order to be eligible to play the Pakistan Super League (PSL). This time, due to the ICC Champions Trophy, both PSL and County Championship have an overalapping schedule.

James Vince decides PSL > County Championship

James Vince has decided to retire from first-class cricket due to the fact that England’s new NOC rule wasn’t going to allow him to play PSL during a County season. Back in November, England announced that they wouldn’t grant NOCs to England players to play in overseas leagues during the English summer window. This rule, however, has IPL as an exception.

Hence, Vince had two options: to play for Hampshire in the County Championship, where he has captained for nine seasons. The other choice for him was to bid adieu to red-ball cricket in order to play PSL. He has chosen the latter one. After all, he isn’t in the reckoning for England’s Test team so he could have afforded.

Hampshire loses a veteran captain

Vince’s departure from first-class cricket means Hampshire will be without their veteran captain, who has been at the heart of the club’s setup for nearly two decades. He played 197 first-class matches, scoring 29 hundreds and averaging over 41. His leadership has been a key factor in the club’s successes in the County Championship. Hampshire’s director of cricket, Giles White, acknowledged that fans may feel disappointed by Vince’s decision but urged them to understand and support him in this new phase of his career.

White praised Vince for his commitment on and off the field, highlighting his contributions as the team’s leading batter and captain. “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,” White said.

One of the key reasons behind Vince’s decision was his family’s relocation to Dubai. After a series of incidents involving unexplained attacks on his home in Hampshire last year, Vince decided it was best for his family to settle elsewhere. “I love Hampshire. 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]。また、家族にとって何が最善なのかを理解し、それを自分のキャリアの段階に合わせる必要もあります。ビンスは現在、開催中のILT20 2025でガルフ・ジャイアンツのキャプテンを務めていると語った。

月曜日にペシャワール・ザルミと有利な契約を結んだトム・コーラー＝キャドモアはビンスの後を継ぐ可能性が高く、PSLでもプレーすることを約束している。