Published: Aug 08, 2019, 09:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 08, 2019, 09:26 PM (IST)
Allan Donald has decided to move on from Kent at the end of the season, marking the end of his two-year tenure with the club. Donald joined Kent at the beginning of 2018 with a specific aim of working with the young crop of bowlers and been with them on tours of West Indies and South Africa.
A veteran of 72 Tests in which he grabbed 330 wickets for South Africa, Donald called his association with Kent a “great experience”.
“Over the past two seasons, it’s been hugely rewarding to see the development of young and exciting players,” Donald, who was recently inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, said. “We have been uncompromising in raising standards here through our transition into Division One and shown that we can compete and win at this level.
“There’s a squad of players here that is hungry to learn and it has been great to be a part of the team that has set up a culture and values that will stand Kent in good stead for the future.”
Following Donald’s departure from Kent, the club will be undergoing a complete overhaul in its behind-the-scene operations. The moves include hiring full-time batting and bowling coaches.
“Allan has been an invaluable addition to our coaching staff for the past two seasons. We have benefitted hugely from ‘AD’ bringing his Test Match intensity to the dressing room, as well as from his coaching skills and experience as we look to build a top class bowling attack across all formats,” Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, said.
“Working with Head Coach Matt Walker, we will now begin a restructuring programme of the coaching set-up at the club. We aim to recruit both a specialist bowling coach and a specialist batting coach who will be available for all 12 months of the year to work within our pathway during the winter, as well as with our professionals all year round.
“It will be a major boost to our strategic goal of producing more home-grown Kent cricketers in the future, and to help them in their transition from county age groups and the Kent Cricket Academy to the first team.”
