Mushtaq Ahmed is planning to torment county batsmen earlier than usual this season.

The 36-year-old has been the country's leading wicket-taker in each of his three seasons with Sussex, most memorably in 2003 when he took 103 wickets.

But Mushtaq admits he is a slow starter and is determined to improve his record in the first half of the summer.

Mushtaq has taken 265 Championship wickets for the county in three years but the majority have been taken in the second half of the season.

In 2003 he took 41 of his 103 wickets before halfway, 30 out of 82 in 2004 and just 22 out of 80 last season.

There are mitigating factors such was slow early season pitches and the cold. Mushtaq cheerfully admits his pockets are still stuffed with hand-warmers in June.

But the Pakistani refuses to use those excuses for under-par returns in the first three months of the season.

He said: "This season my thinking is different. You can't predict what's going to happen but I am determined to be more hungry at the start of the summer and more aggressive.

"I asked myself throughout the winter what is stopping me taking more wickets in April, May and June? It can be difficult with the cold weather which I'm not used too and slow pitches.

"It can take you 10-15 overs to get your fingers warmed up and by then batsman have got used to you. But they are excuses and I'm not going to use them anymore."

Mushtaq had a gentle run-out at Hove yesterday after flying in from Lahore on Wednesday. He is expected to play against Cardiff UCCE on Saturday in Sussex's final friendly.