Sussex are set to throw Pakistan strike bowler Mir Hamza straight into the Championship season.

The left-armer is expected to make his debut when the campaign starts at home to Leicestershire on Friday.

Hamza was due to arrive midway through next month to play eight Specsavers County Championship fixtures as Sussex anticipate the absence of Jofra Archer and/or Chris Jordan with England.

That has now been brought forward.

Hamza flew in over the weekend and will be at the 1st Central County Ground this week.

Sussex were keen to bring in a bowler for the opening weeks of the season while Archer is at the IPL.

They were close to signing West Indies pacer Kemar Roach, the man who did such damage to England this winter, only for injury to make that impossible.

Head coach Jason Gillespie revealed Hamza has been lined up for an early arrival instead.

Gillespie told The Argus: “It looks like we will have him for the first game, which would be great.

“Kemar’s name was linked but we are not signing him. He is injured.”

As well as covering for Archer, Sussex will also be keen to take some burden off the shoulders of Ollie Robinson, who had hip surgery during the close season.

He took three wickets for no runs in his first five overs against Kent during a friendly and will be given more time with the ball over the next day or two in the three-day first-class fixture against Cardiff MCCU, which started yesterday.

Gillespie said: “The plan is to get some overs into him. The plan was a couple of spells against Kent. “We will get three or four spells into him during this game and go from there.

“He should be fine. He is ticking along very nicely.”

Sussex made 480-9 after being put in on the opening day by Cardiff MCCU.

David Wiese smashed 139 off 121 balls, including 17 fours and three sixes. Wiese’s century came up off just 80 deliveries.

He was part of a seventh-wicket stand worth 220 in 33 overs with Michael Burgess, who scored 95.

Tom Haines, opening the innings, scored 93 and shared in a second-wicket partnership worth 164 with Luke Wells (66).

Sussex continue to keep close tabs on Stiaan Van Zyl as he returns to action after a serious knee injury. He scored eight yesterday.