Chief Executive Jamie Clifford insists Kent Cricket will do all they can to support their players following the death of Surrey’s Tom Maynard.

The 23 year old former Glamorgan batsman was killed on Monday morning, just hours after playing the Kent Spitfires in the Twenty 20 game at Beckenham.

Cricketers from around the globe have expressed their sadness at the loss of such a talent and Clifford was keen to state that Kent were united in expressing their condolences at this difficult time for the Maynard family:

“The Club has made an appropriate statement of condolence, but it was very tragic news. We have seen the joint ECB and Surrey statement and I think I speak for all of us at the club, players, staff, members and supporters to say that we’re desperately sad for his family.”

“Obviously he is a member of a strong cricketing family, so we feel it particularly keenly and I think we feel sad for all his team-mates and friends within the game.”

“Cricket’s not a massive industry really and you do know each other and our players will have obviously played against him and some of our younger players will have been in performance squads with him.”

“Our relationships with other counties is very close and is probably closer than that of other sports. Cricket is a close knit community and I think we’ll all feel it quite hard and our thoughts are with the family particularly at a very difficult time.”

With so many of Kent’s players having played against Tom Maynard on Sunday, Clifford told Kent Sports News it would appropriate that the club would offer any of them counselling should they require it:

“We would certainly, if that’s appropriate. We have got a coaching team, not just Jimmy, but support staff as well who know their role well in terms of support of players, so if and where it’s appropriate we would offer the appropriate level of support.”

“If in light of the sad news, there is anything that our players need in terms of support we will give it to them.”

Kent players were already on a planned day off on Monday when the news broke and were back in training on Tuesday morning ahead of their scheduled Twenty 20 game against Essex at Chelmsford on Wednesday night.