James Vince reunited with fellow Hampshire T20 winner for new Australian Big Bash League campaign

James Vince in action for the Sydney Sixers last January. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

Dan Christian was one of Hampshire’s two overseas players when the county won their first T20 crown in 2010 by beating Somerset at The Ageas Bowl.

Vince has gone on to win two more T20 titles - one with Hampshire in 2012 and one with the Sydney Sixers in 2019/20.

The Hampshire skipper has been retained by the Sixers for a third campaign, while serial T20 winner Christian has been recruited from the Melbourne Renegades.

Christian is aiming to win the Big Bash League for the fourth time, after previous wins with the Renegades (2018/19), Brisbane Heat (2012/13) and South Australian (2010/11).

He has also won three English T20 titles - following up his Hampshire success by helping Nottinghamshire triumph in 2017 and again two months ago (where he was man of the match in both the semi-final and final).

In all, the 37-year-old all-rounder has won eight T20 titles - he has also been successful in South Africa and the Caribbean.

Vince is again expected to partner Josh Philippe at the top of the Sixers order - the latter hitting 487 runs in last season’s BBL triumph, the third highest in the tournament.

But two big names haven’t returned - Steve Smith and Tom Curran.

Curran last week became the second England player to withdraw from the BBL citing bubble fatigue.

He was due to head straight from the tour of South Africa to Australia for a third season with the Sixers, having finished last season with 22 wickets - the second highest in the competition.

Curran would have had to quarantine for a fortnight on arrival in Australia before being available. And, having spent the majority of the past six months in controlled ‘bio-secure’ environments in England and the Indian Premier League, he opted to withdraw.

England team-mate Tom Banton made a similar decision as he pulled out of a deal with Brisbane Heat, with the pair’s actions raising growing questions about the mental toll cricketers have taken on during the pandemic.

Vince’s former Hampshire colleague Benny Howell is in Australia, though, having agreed a late contract with Melbourne Renegades.

England internationals Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone and Jake Ball are also due to play.

The quintet face 14 days of quarantine before being allowed to play for their respective franchises.

The Sixers are taking on Hobart Hurricanes in Thursday’s BBL curtain-raiser.