Kent Cricket have confirmed its coaching team for its Men’s side heading into the 2026 season with Darren Stevens back at Canterbury.
Following the departures of Toby Radford and Robbie Joseph, the Club confirmed the appointment of two Assistant Coaches, and Darren Stevens is back at the club as Bowling Consultant and will be led by Men’s Head Coach Adam Hollioake.
Men’s Assistant Coach (Batting) – Jaahid Ali
A former right-handed batter with all-format experience in Pakistan, including playing stints with Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Jaahid first went into coaching as a Support Coach at the 2023 Bunbury Festival.
Since November that year, he became a Talent Pathway Coach & Academy Batting Lead at Kent Cricket, alongside being an Assistant Coach at Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.
After moving into coaching Kent Men’s first-team on a support basis during parts of the 2025 season, Jaahid has now taken on the role of Assistant Coach (Batting) at the Club, where he will facilitate batting training for the Club’s Men’s first-team, as well as helping to develop the next generation of Kent batters by working closely with talent in the Kent Cricket Academy.
Men’s Assistant Coach (Bowling) – Sam Faulkner
Sam first joined the Club back in 2021 as a second-team and Academy analyst and has progressed up to his new role following stints as Kent Women’s Strength and Conditioning Coach using his Biomechanics background, as well as overseeing fast bowler development in the Club’s Academy, Emerging Player Programme and Talent Pathway.
He will continue to work with young bowling talent throughout the entire Kent Cricket Talent Pathway alongside his first-team duties, to provide a clear progression for young bowlers coming through the system at Kent Cricket.
Sam will work with the Club’s new Bowling Consultant to provide year-long support for the Club’s first-team Men’s bowlers.
Men’s Bowling Consultant – Darren Stevens
Darren Stevens enjoyed a stellar Kent career that spanned three decades and took 864 wickets for Kent’s first team before retiring at the end of the 2022 season.
Since his retirement from playing, Stevens worked as an Assistant Coach for Essex Women’s Tier 1 side for the 2025 season, as well as taking on an informal consultancy role with Kent Men’s first-team near the end of this Summer.
He now returns to the Club, where the shirt number 3 is retired in his honour, to work exclusively with the Club’s professional men’s bowlers.
Kent’s Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, said: “We’re extremely delighted to confirm our Men’s coaching structure for 2026.
“With Sam and Jaahid, there will be clear guidance and mentoring for our young talent at first-team, Academy and Pathway level to make any transition to a higher level more seamless from a playing perspective. Both Sam and Jaahid have worked closely with our Talent Pathway for a number of years now and are both held in high regard by our Pathway players and staff.
“Stevo coming back to Kent to join our bowling coaching provision will undoubtedly by popular with our Members and supporters. His experience and coaching skills will be invaluable to our first-team bowlers as we head into a new season under Adam Hollioake.”
Picture supplied by Kent Cricket.