Head Coach Jimmy Adams is keen to give the current Kent squad the chance to start the season rather than bringing in expensive overseas signings.

There has been very little change on the playing staff since the end of the last season with all-rounder Calum Haggett announced as the club’s only winter signing so far.

With county cricket seeing a shift from bringing in overseas imports to utilising local talent, Kent are set to give some of their promising youngsters the chance to prove themselves this coming season.

Last year, opening batsman Scott Newman was drafted in by Kent to compliment the new squad assembled under Adams, but this year things will be different under the West Indian with the Head Coach telling KSN how he doesn’t envisage any other new faces coming to Canterbury in the next six weeks:

“A year is a long time in professional sport, but we will definitely be starting the season with the squad that we have, because the players convinced me by the end of last season that they all deserve to start this year.”

“They have earnt that right and then we will take it from there. We are happy with what we have and I’m quite happy to give them all that opportunity.”

With Kent set to start their County Championship campaign away to Leicestershire on April 17th, Adams is keen to see the side emulate last season where they got off to a good start in all formats of the game:

“The start of anything is important, whether that be a batsman starting an innings or a club starting a season and one of the things we emphasise in pre-season is that we hit the ground running come the start of the new season.”

“Hopefully we can generate some early momentum across all of the competitions.”

Last season saw the likes of Charlie Shreck sit out the shorter formats, but Adams told KSN how everyone is currently open to selection for the three versions of the game:

“It is far too early for me to be saying who will and who won’t be playing. We have six weeks of pre-season and everybody is avialable at the moment to play in all formats this season as far as I am concerned.”

This week saw Adams put pen to paper on a twelve month contract extension at Canterbury, taking him through to the end of the 2014 season and the Jamiacan told KSN how he was happy to have agreed a longer deal at Kent:

“I am very happy and delighted to have been given the opportunity to interact with the club for another year. I’ve had a fantastic first year and really enjoyed it and was keen to be involved for another twelve months and be part of what is happening here.”

“I think we have got a fantastic group of players here, a really good mix of experience and youth and the attitude is tremdous.”

“Things are going in the right direction and it’s a good environment to be involved in. I think it is possible for us to go on and win things and we’ve got players here that could go on and represent their country at various levels.”

This week saw players returning to the club from having spent the winter in all four corners of the globe and taking part in all manner of fitness testing.

In years gone past it used to be something players dreaded at the start of pre-season, but Adams believes the new crop of players embrace what it can do for them:

“There is a sense of excitement that we are getting close to the new season. We’ve all caught up with lads we haven’t seen for a while. There’s a positive vibe about the place and it’s good to have all the lads back.”

“I think my generation didn’t quite look forward to the fitness testing and we had a different outlook on why it was used, but the lads now go through a whole battery of assessments including the bleep tests to get them confident in being ready to working really hard.”

“This generation of players have grown up with it and although it might be painful at times, they actually want to know where they are.”

With the weather as unpredicatable as ever, Kent have erected a type of greenhouse on the St Lawrence Ground at Canterbury to give the players the opportunity to prepare for the new season outdoors, but Adams told KSN how they may have to vary their plans according to the conditions:

“We still need a week of sunshine so we can prepare the wickets in the greenhouse, but if it isn’t available, we will use whatever we can, whether that be a netting area, Polo Farm if it is available or indoors.”

Adams has not long returned to Kent himself after spending some time in New Zealand with the MCC World Cricket Committee and he is happy to be involved in shaping the future of the game:

“It was interesting and was the first time I had sat with the group. It was good to be there and take part in the discussions. With the likes of Steve Waugh, Martin Crowe and Charlotte Edwards there, the discussions were lively.”

“It won’t take up too much of my time as we will be in touch electronically and won’t interfere with anything I am doing with Kent.”

Main picture supplied by Sarah Ansell. To see more of Sarah’s pictures visit www.sarahcanterbury.com