Kent bring in batting reinforcements as availability issues pile up

Feroze Khushi has joined on loan from Essex for four games - one in the County Championship and three in the T20 Blast

Kent have signed Essex batter Feroze Khushi on a short-term loan deal until July 13, with the Canterbury county without nine first-team players at present.

Khushi, 25, has made a Division One century this season for Essex – against Durham in April – but has found himself down the pecking order since then, with 228 runs in in eight innings.

He hasn't played a first-team game since mid-May.

"We're pleased to have Feroze with us to give us more options with the bat at the top of the order as we wait on the fitness of our established batters," said Simon Cook, Kent's director of cricket.

"Zak Crawley has returned to the England camp ahead of their Test series with West Indies and will now not be available for us for our remaining T20 South Group fixtures.

^{Zak Crawley is one of several players unavailable to Kent (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

"On the flip side, we hope to have Jack Leaning fit in the very near future, and Feroze coming on board also gives us extra batting depth as we head into another busy part of our schedule."

Joe Denly also revealed on Instagram that he is battling a knee issue, while Tawanda Muyeye struggled for runs in the early part of the season but made an encouraging half century against Lancashire last time out.

Khushi will be eligible for Kent's County Championship clash with Hampshire and their next three T20 Blast games, though not the away trip to Essex.

Matt Walker, Kent's head coach, told The Cricketer in March that "in an ideal world" Kent wouldn't be back in the loan market "at all, at any stage" in 2024.

"But the way the world works now and with the transition of players and how much cricket there is, there are going to be more injuries and the smaller squad sizes will have these problems when you get on a big scale with injuries," he added. "It is a welcome tool to have."

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