Kent sign Arafat Bhuiyan after SACA graduation

South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) graduate Arafat Bhuiyan reached an agreement with county side Kent for the remainder of the 2023 season. Notably, Arafat became the seventh graduate from SACA to sign a professional contract with a county team.

The Bangladesh-born pacer plays for Blackheath in the Kent Premier League. In addition to this, he has also featured for Surrey, Essex and Derbyshire's second XIs and has experience with MCC's Young Cricketers side in 2019 and SACA in 2023. 

Delighted upon signing the contract with Kent, Arafat stated that he would look to put his best foot forward for the side in the forthcoming games.

"I'm over the moon to have signed for Kent. It's a dream come true to become a professional cricketer, and I feel all my hard work has paid off. I'm grateful to Kent, especially Second XI Coach Mark Dekker, for the faith they have showed in me, and hope I can perform well if given the opportunity,” Arafat was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

He brings much-needed depth to our bowling attack: Kent's Director of Cricket

Arafat joined the SACA during the winter in Birmingham and credited the experience which has helped him make massive strides in joining Kent.

"I would also like to thank Dr Tom Brown from SACA for giving me the opportunity to train and for accommodating me during the Winter in Birmingham. I can't speak highly enough about the amount of work he is putting into this programme,” he added.

Notably, the right-arm pacer has claimed 17 wickets during his stint with Kent's second XI. Paul Downton, Kent's Director of Cricket, expressed his delight in reinforcing the bowling arsenal with the services of Arafat.

"Arafat comes highly recommended from our pathway coaches and has impressed with his pace and control with the ball for us this year. He brings much-needed depth to our bowling attack as we head into a busy period of the season," said Paul Downton.