Kemar Roach: West Indies pace bowler to join Surrey for County Championship start
- Published
Kemar Roach took eight wickets during the three-match Test series against England last season
West Indies pace bowler Kemar Roach is to join Surrey for their first seven County Championship fixtures.
Roach, 32, is expected to join the county after the West Indies' Test series with Sri Lanka ends on 2 April, but that is subject to Covid-19 restrictions and quarantine.
He could possibly make his debut against Gloucestershire on 8 April.
But a more realistic target might be the game against Leicestershire at The Oval the following week.
Roach's only previous stint in county cricket came in 2011 when he played four first-class matches for Worcestershire, taking 14 wickets.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to be joining Surrey for the early part of the summer," he said. "Two grounds I wanted to play at as a kid were the two Ovals, Kensington and The Oval, home of Surrey.
"When Alec Stewart showed an interest in me, I had no hesitation in saying yes to him. The club has a strong squad with a nice balance of youth and experience."
Right-armer Roach is expected to return to the Caribbean at the end of May after Surrey's match with Middlesex for a scheduled international programme.
He has taken 205 wickets in 61 Tests since his debut against Bangladesh in 2009.