Kent bring in Brendan Nash

Kent have signed West Indies batsman Brendan Nash as their overseas player for the 2012 season. Nash, the 34-year-old Australia-born left-hander, played the last of his 21 Tests in June 2011 and is expected to be available for Kent's entire campaign.

Despite dropping out of the West Indies side after a run of modest form - Nash was dismissed for single-digit scores five times in his final six Test innings - he has continued to prosper for Jamaica and has made two double-centuries for them in his last ten first-class innings. He is also seen as a positive, calm and experienced influence on and off the pitch and was previously West Indies vice-captain.

He has limited pedigree as a limited-overs player, however. He has never made a List A century - he has only passed 50 four times - and has never batted in T20 cricket. Nash opted not to play in the WICB 50-over competition for Jamaica in the 2011-12 domestic season, citing "personal reasons" and saying his "mind was not where he wanted it to be."

None of this will be any secret to Jimmy Adams, appointed as Kent's head coach in January. Adams was previously technical director of the Jamaican team and is no stranger to Nash.

"Brendan's ability, coupled with his experience, will be of great value to the club," Adams said. "I look forward to welcoming Brendan to Kent in the next couple of weeks in preparation for the season opener."

The signing of Nash continues a busy winter for Kent in county cricket's burgeoning transfer market. While losing Joe Denly to Middlesex and Martin van Jaarsveld to retirement, Kent have signed Charlie Shreck (from Nottinghamshire), Ben Harmison (Durham), Michael Powell (Glamorgan) and Scott Newman, on a two-month loan, from Middlesex. All of them have points to prove having struggled to secure first-team cricket - or, in Nash's case, international cricket - and in the words of Jamie Clifford, Kent's chief executive, have "unfinished business" in the game.

Several of them will have also offered good value for money. The county game is very much a 'buyers' market' at present, with many players vying for the few positions open at the 18 clubs. Kent have considered a list of 65 players over the winter and, after giving trials and interviews to many, have selected only what they feel are the cream of the crop. They remain on the lookout for a bowler and will decide whether to sign a second overseas player for the FLt20 nearer the time.