A Kent legend is to rejoin the county as part of their 2026 men’s coaching set-up.

Former fans’ favourite all-rounder Darren Stevens, 49, will become a bowling consultant, supporting bowling coach Sam Faulkner and head coach Adam Hollioake.

They will be joined in Kent's hierarchy by Pakistani batting coach Jaahid Ali.

“We’re extremely delighted to confirm our men’s coaching structure for 2026,” said director of cricket Simon Cook.

“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, be 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.”

On social media, 30-year-old Ali wrote: “Grateful to Simon Cook and Adam Hollioake for their trust, and to Min Patel (Kent’s head of Talent Pathway) for the support through the Pathway.

“Looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

Stevens had enjoyed a stellar Kent career that spanned three decades as he claimed 864 wickets for the county before departing at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Since his playing retirement, he has 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 the 2025 summer. He has played club cricket regularly for St Lawrence & Highland Court in the Kent League Premier Division, too.

Stevens now returns to the club, where the No.3 shirt has been retired in his honour, to work exclusively with the county’s professional men’s bowlers.

He first arrived in Canterbury 20 years ago and helped Kent to T20 Blast success - twice - One-Day Cup glory in 2021 and County Championship Division 1 promotion.

Ali, a former right-handed batsmen with all-format experience in Pakistan, including playing stints with Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, first went into coaching as a support coach at the 2023 Bunbury Festival.

Since November that year, he has been a Talent Pathway coach and Academy Batting Lead at Kent, alongside being an assistant coach at Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.

After moving into coaching Kent men’s first team on a support basis in parts of the 2025 season, Ali has now taken on the role of assistant coach where he will facilitate batting training for the club’s first team, as well as helping to develop the next generation of Kent batsmen.

Faulkner, meanwhile, first joined Kent in 2021 as a second-team and Academy analyst and has progressed up to his new role after stints as Kent Women’s Strength and Conditioning coach. There, he has used 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 across 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.

Faulkner will work with Kent’s new bowling consultant to provide year-long support towards the club’s first-team men’s bowlers.

CORRECTION 25 OCTOBER: The original version of this story stated that Kent had said that Toby Radford had left the county as part of the coaching changes. He had actually left in 2024.