KENT have played down claims that South African all-rounder Lance Klusener is among their overseas targets for 2004.

The denial came after the Natal all-rounder flew into Britain on Sunday to take his place in the Lashings side involved in the Titans of Kent challenge at Canterbury.

There have been reports that Klusener would be talking with both Kent and Somerset with an aim of playing championship cricket next summer.

But Kent’s chief executive Paul Millman dismissed stories from Sky Sports News and two Sunday newspapers as speculation, saying the club have no plans to talk with Klusener.

He stressed: “Our plans for 2004 are still very much an open book and it is still far too early for us to be setting plans in stone.

“It is interesting to hear that Lance and his agent would be prepared to talk with Kent and that has been noted but at this stage that is as far as our interest goes.

“We are lucky to have an experienced network of ex-players and cricket committee members who are constantly helping and advising us when it comes to these matters and I would like to think the success of our overseas signings in the past speaks for itself.”

The 2,500 crowd saw brief glimpse of Klusener’s prowess when he clubbed a brace of boundaries in an unbeaten 13 on his Lashings debut as the Maidstone club landed an emphatic 51-run win over Kent in the Titans challenge.