Sussex are expecting big things of Rana Naved after their overseas player finally made it to Hove.

Passport and visa problems held up the 31-year-old fast bowler’s arrival until Wednesday afternoon.

Yesterday morning he travelled to Liverpool for Sussex’s Championship opener against Lancashire before practising with the squad at Aigburth.

Cricket manager Mark Robinson admitted: “We had a drama with Rana but he is here now which is good news.

“We would have obviously liked more time to work with him but he is going to be a big player for us in the first half of the season. He gives us that energy and excitement.”

Rana has taken 159 wickets at an average of 22.84 in three spells with Sussex including 20 in five games at the start of last season during a brief stint as overseas player. This year he will play until the end of June before Wayne Parnell takes over.

Sussex could give Championship debuts to three players with Amjad Khan, Naveed Arif and Kirk Wernars all in the squad.

Robinson and acting captain Murray Goodwin have to decide between playing an extra specialist batsman in either Luke Wells or Joe Gatting or a fourth seamer alongside Monty Panesar, who has been bowling superbly in the nets according to his team-mates.

Two pages of Sussex cricket in The Argus today as the new season gets underway