Kent have opted against going on a pre-season tour again ahead of the 2025 summer.

The team are due to report back to Canterbury in mid-March under new head coach Adam Hollioake for the first time as Kent aim to bounce back after suffering relegation from Division 1 of the County Championship during a forgettable 2024 campaign.

While the squad will be put through their paces in the UK once more, director of cricket Simon Cook has explained their players have been encouraged to go away over the winter while those who remain may potentially go on a batting camp.

Batting consultant Toby Radford led a similar trip to Mumbai, India, in March 2024.

Speaking ahead of Christmas, Cook said: “Again, it comes down to prioritising with our finances.

“If you go away on a pre-season tour - and you take 30 players and staff away - you’re probably talking about spending the best part of £80,000 which we don’t have.

“We have encouraged the players to go away. We have only got seven or eight in the country and that’ll drop again in January as they disappear off to get some warm-weather training.

“Those that are left in the country, they’ll potentially do a batting camp in India around February 26 for 10 days. Then, everyone reports back here for March 10."

Friendly fixtures have been arranged against Essex, Sussex and Loughborough University - a three-day match - ahead of Kent’s season-opening away County Championship Division 2 start against Northamptonshire, led by Darren Lehmann, from Friday, April 4.

“Once you get to March 10, you have kind of an acclimatisation week," added Cook. "Then, you’re into outdoor nets and those three games.

“It comes around pretty quickly!”

Kent face Middlesex in their first 2025 red-ball home game in Canterbury from Friday, April 11.

Spitfires’ T20 Blast schedule begins at Gloucestershire on Friday, May 30, before an opening One-Day Cup clash with Sussex Sharks at Arundel on Thursday, August 7.