Xavier Bartlett: Kent sign Australian paceman for start of 2024 season
- Published
Xavier Bartlett (right) made his first-class debut in 2019 for Queensland
Kent have signed Australia fast bowler Xavier Bartlett for the first half of the 2024 county season.
The 25-year-old made his one-day international debut against the West Indies in February and was named player of the series.
Bartlett took 20 wickets in 11 matches in Big Bash 13, alongside Kent's T20 captain Sam Billings, at Brisbane Heat.
"His career trajectory is clearly on an upward curve," Kent's director of cricket, Simon Cook, said.
"He possesses the ability to take wickets with the new ball in both formats and he has excelled under pressure, consistently delivering in the tough overs during the Big Bash."
Bartlett will be available for five of the first seven Championship games to manage his workload and at least the first eight T20 Blast games.
The Queenslander has a first-class bowling average of 25.68, after taking 66 wickets in 19 matches since making his debut for his state in Australia's Sheffield Shield in October 2019.
"I feel like I've made a lot of progress as a bowler over the past few months, and this is a great opportunity to test my skills as a bowler further in English conditions," Bartlett said.