KENT have begun searching for their fourth overseas player of the season after Andrew Symonds was called up by Australia.

With Greg Blewett having departed and Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Sami scheduled to leave on August 18, Symonds has been called up represent Australia in a one-day series against Bangladesh starting on July 24.

The Queenslander will return in time to play Worcestershire in Canterbury on August 11, but his absence will be another blow to Kent's hopes of Division 1 survival.

Director of cricket Ian Brayshaw said negotiations were at an advanced stage to bring in a fourth overseas player.

He said: "This shows how difficult it is getting with the international timetable to get overseas players for any amount of time.

"It was a noble stance to take that we may get through this season with one overseas player and a cameo appearance from a second but, with hindsight and given an unlimited budget, you'd have two cracking good overseas players and compete better.

"Someone like Carl Hooper, who could be available for the whole season, is what we could have done with."

Brayshaw believes Sami will have a huge impact during his short stay and will soon help lift the club after their Twenty20 Cup exit. "Having Symonds back has put a buzz into the dressing room and the arrival of Sami has lifted spirits too, so we've got some impetus going back into the four-day championship," he added.

"Sami is what we've been looking for in terms of finishing sides off and, if we manage him well by not bowling him too hard early, he will clean sides up, and make us a more potent outfit.

"We've already had a round the table review of our Twenty20 performances in the dressing room. We tried attacking heavily in the top order batting, but there's no question it didn't work apart from the once when Symonds got on with business.

"But there were positives that we can relate to National League cricket in that James Tredwell succeeded as an up-order pinch-hitter and the emergence of Matt Dennington, who's on a development contract, but looks a real talent."