Having originally planned for Wes Agar and Xavier Bartlett to take them through the first part of the County Championship season and into the T20 Blast, plenty has changed
Kent have signed Australian seamer Charlie Stobo as county's overseas plans for 2024 take another turn.
Having originally planned for Wes Agar and Xavier Bartlett to take them through the first part of the County Championship season and into the T20 Blast, plenty has changed since.
Bartlett was withdrawn from his Championship stint by Cricket Australia but, after negotiations, will still take part in the Blast. South African Beyers Swanepoel was signed as a replacement of sorts, available for the rest of the season from the start of May.
Stobo, the Western Australia quick, has signed for a similar timeframe, joining on May 20 and staying at Canterbury until September 16, taking him through to the date of the One Day Cup final. Both Stobo and Swanepoel are eligible for the 50-over tournament.
"We've been keeping a track on Charlie for a while now and we're very pleased that we've been able to get him on board for a substantial part of our season," said Simon Cook, Kent's director of cricket.
Related: Simon Cook: Kent's new director of cricket thrown in at the deep end
Related: Kent head coach Matt Walker on overseas player "minefield"
Stobo plays for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield (Will Russell/Getty Images)
"We've identified that he has the attributes that that will be successful at Canterbury and will add to our squad depth and give us the ability to rotate players, especially bowlers, to better manage their workloads and get the optimum out of everybody.
"We're looking forward to welcoming Charlie as a Spitfire, and we're confident that he can make good contributions for us across all formats."
Stobo, 29, has taken 55 wickets in 18 first-class matches.
"I'm looking forward to linking up with a few lads that I know already, join a bit of an Aussie takeover with Wes Agar already there and Xavier Bartlett set to join soon, and being a part of a squad with a lot of talent," he said.
Agar is due to remain at Kent until the end of July, while Bartlett is available for the first eight T20 Blast matches. Kent have been able to add Stobo to their ranks thanks to ECB regulations that allow four overseas players to be registered at any point, though only two can feature in a playing XI.
Join The Cricketer's brand new Whatsapp channel for the latest breaking news, comment and features - click here to become a member
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.