KENT’S Cricket Academy director Paul Farbrace has been given leave of absence by the county to coach England Under-19s on their New Year tour of Malaysia.

The 14-man party fly out on January 23 and will be based in Kuala Lumpur for a month to play in two triangular one-day series, firstly against Malaya and Sri Lanka, then with Malaya and India.

Kent Academy scholars Alex Blake and Sam Northeast are both part of the tour party, so Farbrace, who has formerly coached England women, will be delighted to be keeping an eye on his young county wards.

Farbrace said: "It's a great chance for me to see some of the best young players in the world, take a close look at how the youth set-ups in India and Sri Lanka operate and how our young Kent players compare.

"Obviously, I can’t treat the Kent lads as special cases, they are just two of a 14-strong squad, but this is a great chance to work with them daily and get to know them even better.

Kent’s chief executive Paul Millman said: "We are very pleased Paul has been asked to coach England’s youngsters and are more than happy to release him from his Kent duties.

"It will, of course, also provide an excellent opportunity for Paul to work with Alex and Sam, who are two of our most promising youngsters."