Kent have completed the signing of West Indian paceman Miguel Cummins in time for the start of the new season on April 8th and coach Matt Walker can’t wait to work with the Barbadian…
Speaking to KSN after the announcement of the quick bowler’s signing was made, the Kent coach told us, “We came across Miguel last year when he was playing for Middlesex – he’d signed a three-year KOLPAK deal with them – we faced him early season at Canterbury and were very impressed as he bowled very well – good pace, good bounce, good carry, as he hurried a few of our guys up.”
“He is an international cricketer with good experience and the important thing is that he’ll be here for the start of the season which in my view makes it a very attractive signing for us.”
Cummins is a right arm quick bowler (and a left-handed bat) has been capped 14 times by the West Indies with a best bowling of 6-48 against India in 2016, as well as featuring in eleven ODI’s and has previously experience in the English domestic game with both Worcestershire and Middlesex.
“We’ve got a great depth to our squad,” Walker continued, “and I think that this is the exciting thing around our group at the moment. There’s great competition for places in all areas.”
“But I think in early season to have the quality of a seamer of Miguel’s like can only enhance the bowling group that we’ve already got. There’s a lot of cricket early on with I think it’s eight Championship games before the T20 starts and that’s a lot of cricket and we know that plenty of things can happen with fast bowlers and injuries and the like.”
“If you add Miguel into our group and it means that we’ve got a really productive bowling unit which can really challenge and trouble some opposition in early season.”
“We thought long and hard before signing Miguel and we felt that bowlers at the start of the year probably have more of an impact than probably a batsman. And if you play for your country and play for West Indies, you can play and bowl, and I think that when we faced him at Canterbury, he showed something different to what we already have.”
“We’ve got a lovely array of bowlers in our group – slightly fuller length bowlers, more dynamic bowlers, swing bowlers – it’s a lovely blend and add Freddie Klaassen’s left arm to it, and Miguel really does bring something that’s a little bit different as someone who can certainly crank up the pace getting up in the high eighties.”
“We’ve tried to build a squad with a little bit of diversity in terms of what they offer with the ball and he will just add something a little bit different – it’s exciting and I can’t wait to work with him.”
“It’s never easy to get overseas players over, certainly not for the start of the season, and that’s one of the things that was attractive about Miguel.”
“He certainly must have caught Middlesex’s eye for them to offer him a three-year KOLPAK deal so I’m excited. Sometimes someone who’s on the edge of a Test side or just out of a Test side can be the most productive sometimes as they’ve got more to prove, and I think that Miguel has plenty to prove and I’m looking forward to seeing him and working with him when pre-season properly starts in the next week or so…”