Exclusive by Glenn Pearson

Reliable seamer Simon Cook has signed a new one-year contract to stay with Kent next season.

The 34-year-old is the final member of the squad to have his immediate future cleared up and follows Sam Northeast, Adam Riley, Chris Piesley and Azhar Mahmood in deciding to stay with the club in 2012.

Cook (pictured), who has been with Kent since signing from Middlesex after the 2004 season, has agreed terms on a one-year deal and is expected to be announced by the club later this week.

The seamer, who got married in Sweden after the end of the season, had an injury troubled year for Kent, breaking his finger twice, which restricted him to just seven LV= County Championship and two Friends Life t20 appearances all summer.

Rumours during the season suggested Cook may take on a coaching role at the county next season, but his deal is believed to be a playing contract only.

Elsewhere, the final round of interviews for Kent's vacant head coach role takes place on Thursday with the final six candidates believed to have been whittled down to a far smaller number.

The club have also denied rumours that Alan Wells, the former Kent, Sussex and England batsman, has been offered the position, and remain hopeful of making their appointment before Christmas.

While the future of the county's out of contract players has now been cleared up, the search for new players to bolster the squad for next season continues with Kent hopeful of announcing a new addition next week.

Neither Worcestershire seamer Chris Whelan or Middlesex batsman Dan Housego, both released at the end of the season, are targets for the county, while David Balcombe, who excelled while on loan at the St Lawrence Ground last season, is no longer an option having signed a new three-year contract at Hampshire.

Kent's chief executive, Jamie Clifford, said: "As for our targets, we want to get the right player at the right price but there are so many things that will come into consideration, such as Rob Key's wrist injury, the availability of our players on England under-19 duty and how our players come back after the winter."

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