Kent agree deal to sign Hamidullah Qadri from Derbyshire

The Afghanistan-born youngster, who was raised in Derby, took a five-wicket haul in his second ever innings of County Championship cricket

Kent have signed England Under-19 off-spinner Hamidullah Qadri from Derbyshire.

The 18-year-old, who made his first-class debut at the age of 16 in 2017, has signed a three-year deal with the county.

The Afghanistan-born youngster, who was raised in Derby, took a five-wicket haul in his second ever innings of County Championship cricket.

Two years on, his record stands at 23 wickets in 10 matches, while he has also made 19 appearances for England at youth level.

Qadri said of the move: “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to play Division One first-class cricket here at Kent.

“I have only heard good things about the setup here and when Kent asked about my availability, it was a very attractive offer and one that I couldn’t turn down.”

Kent’s director of cricket, Paul Downton, said: “Hamid is an excellent prospect and we’re delighted to secure his services. He’s a self-taught natural spinner of the ball who has impressed at all levels.

“Working with the England Young Lions spin coach and our new head of talent pathway, Min Patel, he is the Young Lions’ leading spinner.

“With the chance to continue working with Min, and also with James Tredwell in the winter, we believe he will continue to develop into a really exciting cricketer.

“We have a number of talented young players here at Kent and Hamid adds to that talent pool.”