After initially blocking Xavier Bartlett’s off-season spell with Kent, CA will allow him to play the T20s

Xavier Bartlett has been given permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, and will play in the T20 Blast competition for Kent Spitfires.

The 25-year-old’s explosive KFC BBL|13 season with Brisbane Heat catapulted him to Australian selection, where he thrived in white-ball matches against West Indies.  

Kent had originally announced the quick bowler’s capture in February with Bartlett inked in for five of the opening seven four-day County Championship matches, and at least the first eight fixtures of the T20 Blast.

However, Cricket Australia blocked Bartlett’s move, with the aim of avoiding burning out the young quick by playing too much too soon. 

However, CA has relented, and will allow Bartlett to join Kent for their opening eight fixtures in the short-form event only. He will join up with Wes Agar, who is in his second spell with the county, for whom Steve Waugh, Andrew Symonds, Terry Alderman and Marcus Stoinis have played in the past.

Kent also have current England opening batter Zak Crawley while their T20 team is captained by Bartlett’s Brisbane Heat teammate Sam Billings. 

“We’ve been working extremely hard with Cricket Australia to ensure that Xavier can join us in some capacity this season, and we’re really pleased to have secured his services,” Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said.

“He is hot property at the moment and fully deserves his new central contract with Australia. I know that Spitfires supporters around the world will be extremely excited that the BBL’s top wicket-taker this winter will be pulling on a Kent shirt this June.”

Bartlett took 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 14.70 as Heat won BBL|13. 

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