Adams appointed new Kent coach

Jimmy Adams, the former West Indies batsman, has been appointed the new head coach at Kent. The county have been without a head coach since Paul Farbrace left in September.

Adams, 43, was West Indies' Under-19 manager before being appointed technical director of Jamaica. He played for 10 years in international cricket, retiring in 2001 having scored 3,012 Test runs at 41.26 and took 27 wickets with his slow left-arm. He also captained his country in 14 Tests.

"I am delighted to be given this opportunity," said Adams. "Kent are a county with a proud history and tradition. I look forward to working towards further success in the year to come and can't wait to get started."

Kent chairman Graham Johnson said "He has a strong desire to see young players develop. He also has a tremendous amount of experience from his time in international cricket - particularly as captain. We welcome Jimmy and wish him the very best of luck."

Kent have made changes to their squad, with Joe Denly departing for Middlesex and Martin van Jaarsveld retiring, having initially signed a deal with Leicestershire. Batsmen Michael Powell has joined from Glamorgan and Ben Harmison signed from Durham.

They begin begin their 2012 season against Yorkshire at Headingley on April 5.