Darren Stevens: Veteran all-rounder to leave Kent but wants to play on

Veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens is being released by Kent but wants to continue playing next season.

He told BBC Sport: "I don't feel like I'm ready to give up.

"I love the game so much. I have that passion for it. That is why I'm still playing now. I still feel like I can do a job with the bat and the ball."

Stevens joined Kent from Leicestershire in 2005 and in total has played 887 games of professional cricket across the three formats.

He has amassed almost 17,000 runs and taken 591 wickets in first-class matches, but it is his consistent brilliance since turning 40 that has made him a cult hero in county cricket.

Stevens was set to be released by Kent in 2019, only to be offered a new contract thanks to some spectacular late-season form.

This summer he has been hampered by a collar bone problem and last week he suffered a calf injury playing in the One-Day Cup.

Though he says he is "frustrated" and "disappointed" not to be offered a new deal, Stevens is grateful to Kent for the 17 years he has spent with the club.

"Even on my days off I can find a reason to go to the ground," he said. "I've got a lot of very close friends in that side and it will be hard to leave."

Stevens is also hopeful that he has not already played his last game for Kent, in order to say farewell to the club's fans.

"They've kept me going over the years," he said. "All the ups and downs, they have always been there for me. The biggest thank you I can give is to them.

"It will be emotional. A very proud moment."

In 2021, at the age of 44, Stevens became the oldest person since 1933 to be named as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year after taking 29 wickets at an average of only 15 in the previous summer's Bob Willis Trophy.

"I know that I can do well with the bat, ball and in the field, in all forms of cricket, so why not keep doing it?" he said.

"There might be a few doors that open, there might not. We'll see what happens."

A hugely popular figure in county cricket, Stevens says he is aware of the affection he receives from spectators up and down the country.

"I get quite a few messages, emails and stuff from older guys saying 'it's because of you I've carried on playing'," he said.

"It's nice when you go to grounds and even opposition fans give you a big rap and a pat on the back. I suppose that's what happens when you play for so long."

Similarly, Stevens also knows that his name, and particularly the amount of wickets he takes with his slow medium pace, is often used by detractors of the County Championship and the pitches the competition is played on.

"I get paid by Kent to win games of cricket. If we play on green pitches or flat pitches, I have to find ways of getting wickets and runs," he said.

"It doesn't bother me what they say."

Stevens' calf injury may only keep him sidelined for another week, meaning he could be fit for the end of Kent's One-Day Cup campaign and their last three matches in the County Championship.

• A legendary musician joins Desert Island Discs: John Legend shares the soundtrack of his life
• Vernon Kay brings you dancefloor classics: Go on a nostalgic trip back to the summer in the '90s