The West Indies head to Canterbury for a three-day tour match from Sunday but one familiar face will be missing.

Jimmy Adams stepped down as Kent head coach after five seasons at Kent last year and was appointed director of cricket in the Caribbean in January.

The 49-year-old will follow proceedings from back home in Jamaica but admitted: “Kent will never be too far away from my thoughts given the time I spent there and the relationships I have there. I’ll always check the scores and hope the county can get results.”

The 166th Canterbury Cricket Week will be the first without Adams present since 2011 but he said: “The supporters make it special.

“The players and coaches appreciate the time and money people invest in following the squad and performances during the festival week tend to stick in people’s minds.

"It’s a special time for the club with the tradition and history of the Week.”

Head coach Matt Walker admits he will not name a full strength squad due to Kent’s ongoing T20 campaign, though the likes of Sean Dickson and Will Gidman are likely to play with some of Kent's brightest prospects.

Walker admitted said: “It will definitely be an opportunity for experience for a few lads but I feel a responsibility to pick a strong side.

"We’ll be competitive because there are players who are not in our T20 side who will play who have a good amount of first team experience already.

"My priority is making sure we are ready to go for our next two T20s but I’ll pick a balanced and competitive side with plenty of first team experience.”

With the likes of recent 2nd XI centurions Zak Crawley and Joe Weatherley set to feature and Matt Hunn and Ivan Thomas available, Adams added: “The tour matches are an opportunity to see some of Kent’s younger players against international opposition.

“Hunn was not playing regular first-team cricket but it was a good advert for him to take five wickets against Australia in 2015. And for Daniel Bell-Drummond his century in that game made the selectors stop and take notice.”