KANE Williamson is ready to do the hard yards to help his Yorkshire team-mates turn around their ailing limited-overs form.

The New Zealand captain says "it's great to be back" at Headingley after training with the squad for the first time yesterday ahead of his third spell as the club's overseas player, albeit a short one on this occasion.

Williamson, who will remain with the county until July 18, will play in tonight's NatWest T20 Blast clash with 2014 champions Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston.

It is a game the Vikings desperately need to win after three straight losses in the North Group.

It is the start of a crucial weekend for Yorkshire's limited-overs hopes, with them also facing Derbyshire at Chesterfield on Sunday in the Royal London Cup.

They lost their opener in that 50-over competition against Worcestershire at Headingley on Tuesday.

"I know the guys are working very hard to turn that around and I'm looking forward to getting involved," said 25-year-old Williamson.

"We have struggled a little bit but it's important that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves and make sure we focus on the things we can control, which are our roles in the side. If we do that, we can play our best cricket.

"The mood's fantastic in the squad, although we would have wanted to have won a few more games.

"With the white ball, the guys have had some challenging times, but it's part and parcel of the game that we play.

"It's a slightly shorter stint for me this year but one I'm looking forward to all the same.

"The guys have played some very good red-ball cricket and I'm looking forward to getting involved in that as well. It's exciting to be back again.

"The table in the Championship is very close. There are a lot of very strong sides. With the white ball, it's important that we make improvements quickly.

"I've played quite a bit of cricket in recent times in the sub-continent and I always look forward to playing a bit for Yorkshire, even though this is just for a short spell.

"Every time you get an opportunity to play in conditions that aren't familiar, I guess you learn a lot. Being here at Yorkshire is one of those opportunities.

"To be involved in a fantastic set-up and fantastic culture is something I enjoy immensely. It's something that a lot of international players look to do. There are a lot of Kiwis over here at the moment, which is great to see."

Since last pulling on a Yorkshire shirt towards the end of 2014, Williamson has scored 10 of his 20 international centuries and gained a reputation as one of the world's best players.

He was also appointed as New Zealand's full-time captain in place of the retired Brendon McCullum earlier this year.

Williamson said: "It's certainly an honour and privilege. When there are changes to a team, there is always that transition period. We are in that at the moment but we are still a side that has a lot of international experience."

Yorkshire: from Lees (c), Ballance, Bresnan, Carver, Coad, Hodd (w), Leaning, Lyth, Patterson, Plunkett, Rashid, Rhodes, Willey, Williamson.