England cricket star opens up on fleeing to Dubai after terrifying attacks on family home

James Vince has spoken out about his decision to leave the UK and move abroad with his young family after the England cricket star’s house was attacked twice in 2024

England cricketer James Vince has opened up about his decision to move to Dubai with his family, admitting they did not “feel comfortable” in the UK any more after two attacks on his home.

Vince, who was part of the England squad which won the 2019 Cricket World Cup, stepped down as Hampshire captain earlier this month after deciding to make the move abroad. The 33-year-old will not feature for Hampshire in the County Championship, but will continue as captain in the T20 Blast.

As a result of his move to Dubai, Vince is no longer a UK resident and that limits the number of days he is able to work in England. However, he and his family felt they needed a clean break after their house was attacked twice last year.

“The first port of call was deciding as a family what the future looked like [after the attacks],” Vince told the Telegraph. “We wanted to get back to living in a home, and some normality having been in hotels since May.

“We got through the summer, and were in the process of selling the house, which has now completed. We decided we would spend the winter on the road as a family, starting with a good stint in Dubai. We liked the country, the safety aspect was a big draw.

“I knew a few people who had moved over so we had a good look at their life, some schools, what there was community-wise. We liked what we saw in terms of opportunities for the kids, education, the warm weather. We thought why not?

“As a family, we didn’t necessarily feel comfortable settling in the UK for a bit, so decided to give Dubai a crack.” Reflecting on the attacks, Vince said they are still unaware why they were targeted, adding: “We still don’t know what it was about.

“We probably never will. We are fairly comfortable that it wasn’t intended for us, which helps. We’ve been reassured that nothing has happened since. Travelling the world, living in hotels has helped the kids forget about it to a certain degree, but it’s hard work getting them to sleep in their own beds sometimes.

“Hopefully we can get this place sorted in Dubai, get them back to living in a home, and some normality. It’s a decision we’ve made as a family and I am fitting the cricket in around that.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.