Ajmal Shazhad has urged Sussex to deliver a complete performance to get their NatWest T20 Blast campaign back on track.

The Sharks head to Canterbury for a televised showdown with Kent tonight in fourth place in the South Group having taken just two points from their last three games.

Rain washed out their games at Hampshire and Middlesex before a poor bowling display against Gloucestershire at Arundel last Sunday saw them go down to an 11-run defeat.

Shahzad was comfortably Sussex’s standout performer with the ball against Gloucestershire as he took career-best figures of 3-26 – only the second three-wicket haul of his career in the shortest format.

With only the top four progressing to the quarter-finals Shahzad admits tonight’s clash with Kent and tomorrow’s home game against Middlesex are vital and that the bowling attack must rise to the challenge.

The former England seamer said: “The South Group is very tough but we have definitely got the players to do well in this competition.

“Twenty20 has been one of the positives to come out of this season for us so far but we have just lost a bit of momentum in the last few weeks. We were unlucky against Hampshire and Middlesex and then weren’t quite at our best against Gloucestershire as a bowling unit.

“Now we’ve got two very important games coming up and if we give the captain a complete package in terms of bowling well up front and nailing it at the death then I’m confident we have the firepower to chase down most totals.”

Sussex are hopeful that all-rounder Chris Jordan will be released to play against Kent tonight after being left out of the England team for the third ODI against Sri Lanka yesterday.

The Sharks are also hoping to sign an overseas all-rounder for the next three games with Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman not expected to be available until the home match against Hampshire on July 15. The start time for that game has been put back from 6.30pm to 7pm.

South Africa seamer Kagiso Rabada is set to make his debut for Kent but Daniel Bell-Drummond and Calum Haggett are injury doubts and, Matt Coles remains unavailable for selection.