English World Cup winner James Vince has opened up on a pair of chilling attacks on his family home, in what appears to be a case of mistaken identity.
The opening batter revealed via a report in The Telegraph on Tuesday, July 16, that there had been two attacks on his family home in Hampshire, in the last three months. Vince currently lives there with his wife and two children, aged seven and three.
James Vince's family home attacked twice in quick succession
He told the newspaper that three months ago that the family woke up in the middle of the night as they heard glass shattering and alarms going off. The house and cars had been attacked. Just over a month later, after they had completed the repairs, the Vince family once again woke to tresspassers throwing bricks at the house and cars.
Read more: The biggest revelations from Amit Mishra's tell-all interview
The second time, newly installed security cameras captured footage of the incident. Two men are seen in it, one wearing a hoodie with the logo of the brand Gym King on the back. He is given bricks across the perimeter wall of the property by another one holding a torch and possibly filming the act. Neither person's face is seen on video.
Vince makes public request for information
After the attacks, support came from Hampshire, the ECB and the Professional Cricketers' Association. Intelligence firms were hired to look into the matter, but their investigations have not turned up much so far.
They did say that the pattern of attack suggests a money issue – unpaid debts, for example. But neither Vince nor his wife Amy found anything in their financial or phone records to suggest that they were in trouble with anyone.
With no clear captaincy successor across formats, the next few seasons are critical for the Indian team. Planning a smooth succession is vital but challenging for the BCCI given the numerous variables and options.@CoverDrivenFor4 shares his opinions: https://t.co/MhdIn1fia2 pic.twitter.com/PPMlMW3SoU
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 16, 2024
The most logical explanation on the table thus far is that of mistaken identity. It is why Vince, usually a very private person off the field, resorted to going public with a plea for information.
"If anyone knows anything, or sees anything in the footage of the attack that could lead to anything, please contact us or the Hampshire Police. It could be the final piece of information we need to find out what is going on and get our lives back to normal," he said. "We have received great support locally, and from within cricket. We have also enlisted private security personnel, who have found some key information, which is promising. Anything more that anyone knows would be fantastic, though, because this has to end."
Vince is currently in action for Hampshire in the T20 Blast, captaining the side.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
