Adams: Kent will always be my second home
Saturday 5th August 2017
Former Kent head coach Jimmy Adams will be keeping a close eye on Canterbury Cricket Week from further afield than in recent years.
The 49-year-old returned to the Caribbean last winter to become West Indies director of cricket after five years overseeing the development of several homegrown players now at the heart of the Kent side.
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Adams, who played 54 Tests and 127 ODIs, said: “Kent will never be too far away from my thoughts given the time I spent there and the relationships I have there.
“I’ll always be checking the scores and keeping my fingers crossed that the county can get results.”
He will be following the tour from the Caribbean but says the festival season is an important time for the club.
“The supporters make it special. To see the numbers that come into the matches, especially at Canterbury Week.
“The players and coaches appreciate the time and money people invest in following the squad and performances during the festival week tend to stick in people’s minds.
“It’s a special time for the club with the tradition and history of the Week.”
The West Indies bring a youthful 15-man touring party to Canterbury ahead of the three-match Investec Test series against England, starting in mid-August.
The new director of cricket said: “It’s a young team and a lot of them haven’t toured England before. There’s no better place for a young player to come early in his career – it’s a fantastic opportunity to surprise a few people.
“You’re always hunting for results. The guys are talented and have a great attitude so we’ll give them as much support as we can.
“England will start as favourites but I do believe in this bunch of young players and I’m looking forward to some very, very strong performances from the team.”
The former West Indies Test star believes the tour match is an opportunity for Kent, as well as the tourists, to unearth some talent.
“The tour matches are an opportunity to see some of Kent’s younger players against international opposition.
“When Kent played against Australia in 2015, it was a good game although we didn’t get the result we wanted.
“Matt Hunn was not playing regular first-team cricket but it was a good advert for him to take five wickets.
“And for Daniel Bell-Drummond, another young player who was playing regularly but wanted to make his mark on the game nationally and his century would have made the selectors stop and take notice.”
Read the full interview in the Canterbury Cricket Week match guide, on sale this week at The Spitfire Ground